The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth
Site index is an important parameter in forest management. Selecting good site trees is critical for both developing and applying models to estimate site index. Along with other characteristics, site trees must be free of damage so that the growth of the tree reflects the potential productivity of t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Institute of Forestry
2017-01-01
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| Series: | The Forestry Chronicle |
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| Online Access: | https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2017-008 |
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| author | Gord Nigh |
| author_facet | Gord Nigh |
| author_sort | Gord Nigh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Site index is an important parameter in forest management. Selecting good site trees is critical for both developing and applying models to estimate site index. Along with other characteristics, site trees must be free of damage so that the growth of the tree reflects the potential productivity of the site. Detecting and avoiding leader damage in site trees is very difficult because radial stem growth eventually hides the damage, even in young trees. This project quantifies the loss in height growth due to hidden leader damage. Thirty-seven lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) site trees were destructively sampled. Annual height growth was measured and incidents of leader damage noted. Height growth was modelled in a mixed-effects framework and allowed for growth reductions due to leader damage. Height growth was reduced on average by 35% in the year the damage occurred and by 15% in the year after the damage event. Height growth returned to normal in subsequent years. The effect of leader damage on the estimated site index depends on when and how many damage events occur, and when the site index estimate is made. For a tree with a site index of 20 m at base age 50 years at breast height that has leader damage at age 8, a reduction in the estimated site index of 0.59 m and 0.31 m can be expected when site index is estimated at ages 10 and 25, respectively. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e69b321fe32e4a2eb30cd6e6e796aaf2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0015-7546 1499-9315 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Institute of Forestry |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Forestry Chronicle |
| spelling | doaj-art-e69b321fe32e4a2eb30cd6e6e796aaf22025-08-20T03:39:29ZengCanadian Institute of ForestryThe Forestry Chronicle0015-75461499-93152017-01-019301323710.5558/tfc2017-008The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growthGord Nigh0Forest Analysis and Inventory Branch, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Victoria, B.C., Canada V8W 9C2Site index is an important parameter in forest management. Selecting good site trees is critical for both developing and applying models to estimate site index. Along with other characteristics, site trees must be free of damage so that the growth of the tree reflects the potential productivity of the site. Detecting and avoiding leader damage in site trees is very difficult because radial stem growth eventually hides the damage, even in young trees. This project quantifies the loss in height growth due to hidden leader damage. Thirty-seven lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) site trees were destructively sampled. Annual height growth was measured and incidents of leader damage noted. Height growth was modelled in a mixed-effects framework and allowed for growth reductions due to leader damage. Height growth was reduced on average by 35% in the year the damage occurred and by 15% in the year after the damage event. Height growth returned to normal in subsequent years. The effect of leader damage on the estimated site index depends on when and how many damage events occur, and when the site index estimate is made. For a tree with a site index of 20 m at base age 50 years at breast height that has leader damage at age 8, a reduction in the estimated site index of 0.59 m and 0.31 m can be expected when site index is estimated at ages 10 and 25, respectively.https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2017-008lodgepole pineleader damageheight growthsite indexstem analysispin tordu |
| spellingShingle | Gord Nigh The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth The Forestry Chronicle lodgepole pine leader damage height growth site index stem analysis pin tordu |
| title | The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth |
| title_full | The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth |
| title_fullStr | The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth |
| title_short | The effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth |
| title_sort | effect of leader damage on lodgepole pine site tree height growth |
| topic | lodgepole pine leader damage height growth site index stem analysis pin tordu |
| url | https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2017-008 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gordnigh theeffectofleaderdamageonlodgepolepinesitetreeheightgrowth AT gordnigh effectofleaderdamageonlodgepolepinesitetreeheightgrowth |