A stand-level multispecies growth model for Appalachian hardwoods

Abstract

A stand-level growth and yield model was developed to predict future diameter at breast height (dbh) distributions of thinned stands of mixed Appalachian hardwoods. The model allows prediction by species group and dbh class. Stand attributes (basal area per unit area, trees per unit area, minimum stand dbh, and arithmetic mean dbh) were projected through time for the whole stand and for individual species groups. Future dbh distributions were obtained using the three-parameter Weibull probability density function and a variation of the parameter recovery method. The recovery method used employed the first two noncentral moments of dbh (arithmetic mean dbh and quadratic mean dbh2) to generate Weibull parameters. Future dbh distributions were generated for the whole stand and every species group but one; the diameter distribution for the remaining species group was obtained by subtraction.