Mortality models for mountain and alpine ash

Abstract

Models that accurately predict mortality are essential for the management of forests for sustainable yield. We develop models for mountain ash ( Eucalyptus regnans) and alpine ash ( E. delegatensis) using extensive remeasurement data from Victorian Central Highland forests. The models are based on Cox's proportional hazards regression. The predictive power of the models is evaluated with data sets withheld from the estimation procedures. The results suggest that the models will provide a reliable means of estimating mortality in seeded and planted stands of both species on a stand basis.