Height growth curves and site index tables for subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and lodgepole pine in the ESSF zone of BC

• Main Authors: Klinka, Karel, Chen, Han Y. H., Wang, Qingli, Chourmouzis, Christine
• Language: English
• Published: Forest Sciences Department, University of British Columbia 2008
• Subjects: Engelmann spruce; Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir zone; Forest productivity; Height growth model; Lodgepole pine; Site index model; Stem analysis; Subalpine fir
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/768

Height growth models of coastal low- and mid-elevation Pacific silver fir, low-elevation white spruce, and low- and midelevation lodgepole pine have been used for predicting productivity of subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and lodgepole pine, respectively. These models, however, are biased in predicting height growth of high-elevation subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and lodgepole pine. To improve this situation, 329 sample plots (165 for subalpine fir, 90 for Engelmann spruce, and 74 for lodgepole pine) were located throughout the Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir (ESSF) zone. Stem analysis was carried out on three dominant trees in each 0.04 ha sample plot. For each study species, a height growth model was developed on the data from two-thirds of the sample plots using the conditioned Chapman-Richards’ function; the model was validated using the remaining one-third of the sample plots.