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• Gonzalez-Benecke, CA.
• Gezan, SA.
• Leduc, DJ.
• Martin, TA.
• Cropper, WP.
• Samuelson, LJ.
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• Gonzalez-Benecke, CA.
• Gezan, SA.
• Leduc, DJ.
• Martin, TA.
• Cropper, WP.
• Samuelson, LJ.
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• Gonzalez-Benecke, CA.
• Gezan, SA.
• Leduc, DJ.
• Martin, TA.
• Cropper, WP.
• Samuelson, LJ.

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Forests 2012, 3(4), 1104-1132; doi:10.3390/f3041104

Article

Modeling Survival, Yield, Volume Partitioning and Their Response to Thinning for Longleaf Pine Plantations

Carlos A. Gonzalez-Benecke ^1,* , Salvador A. Gezan ¹ , Daniel J. Leduc ² , Timothy A. Martin ¹ , Wendell P. Cropper Jr. ¹  and Lisa J. Samuelson ³

¹ School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110410, Gainesville, FL 32611-0410, USA ² USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 2500 Shreveport Hwy, Alexandria Forestry Center, Pineville, LA 71360, USA ³ School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, 3301 SFWS Building, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 18 September 2012; in revised form: 25 November 2012 / Accepted: 11 December 2012 / Published: 18 December 2012

Download PDF Full-Text [606 KB, Updated Version, uploaded 19 December 2012 16:48 CET]

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Abstract: Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) is an important tree species of the southeast U.S. Currently there is no comprehensive stand-level growth and yield model for the species. The model system described here estimates site index (SI) if dominant height (H_dom) and stand age are known (inversely, the model can project H_dom at any given age if SI is known). The survival (N) equation was dependent on stand age and H_dom, predicting greater mortality on stands with larger H_dom. The function that predicts stand basal area (BA) for unthinned stands was dependent on N and H_dom. For thinned stands BA was predicted with a competition index that was dependent on stand age. The function that best predicted stand stem volume (outside or inside bark) was dependent on BA and H_dom. All functions performed well for a wide range of stand ages and productivity, with coefficients of determination ranging between 0.946 (BA) and 0.998 (N). We also developed equations to estimate merchantable volume yield consisting of different combinations of threshold diameter at breast height and top diameter for longleaf pine stands. The equations presented in this study performed similarly or slightly better than other reported models to estimate future N, H_dom and BA. The system presented here provides important new tools for supporting future longleaf pine management and research.

Keywords: longleaf pine; growth and yield modeling; merchantable volume yield; stand dynamics

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