Modeling diameter distribution of the broadleaved-Korean pine mixed forest on Changbai Mountains of China

Abstract

The broadleaved-Korean pine mixed forest is a native vegetation in the Changbai Mountains, northeast China. The probability density functions including the normal, negative exponential, Weibull and finite mixture distribution, were used to describe the diameter distributions of the species groups and entire forest stand. There is a strong correlation between parameters and mean DBH except the shape parameters in the mixture distribution. The diameter classes of species and entire forest stand showed not negative exponential but normal and “S” distribution. The mixture function was better than normal and Weibull to describe the model distribution. The location parameter had an effect on the estimated frequency in the first diameter class, when the estimated location parameter was bigger than the lower limit of the first diameter class.