Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2-2019
Abstract
Stand density index (SDI) has played an important role in controlling stand stocking and modeling stand development in forest stands. Reineke's SDI (SDI-R) is based on a constant slope of -1.605 for the self-thinning line. For Chinese fir plantations, however, it has been reported that the self-thinning slope varied with site and climate, rendering SDI-R questionable. Remeasured data from 48 plots distributed in Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Sichuan provinces were used to develop models for prediction of stand survival and basal area, with SDI-R incorporated as a predictor variable. Also included in the evaluation were growth models based on self-thinning slopes estimated from two groups of sites (SDI-S) or from climate variables (SDI-C). Results indicated that models with climate-sensitive SDI (SDI-C) performed best, followed by SDI-S and SDI-R. The control models without SDI received the worst overall rank. Inclusion of climate-sensitive SDI in growth and survival models can therefore facilitate modeling of the relation between stand density and growth/survival under future climate-change conditions.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Forest Science
First Page
776
Last Page
783
Recommended Citation
Zhang, X., Cao, Q., Lu, L., Wang, H., Duan, A., & Zhang, J. (2019). Use of Modified Reineke's Stand Density Index in Predicting Growth and Survival of Chinese Fir Plantations. Forest Science, 65 (6), 776-783. https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxz033