TY - JOUR
T1 - Individual-tree diameter growth models for mixed Nothofagus second growth forests in southern Chile
AU - Moreno, Paulo C.
AU - Palmas, Sebastian
AU - Escobedo, Francisco J.
AU - Cropper, Wendell P.
AU - Gezan, Salvador A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the University of Florida through the School of Forest Resources & Conservation. The authors acknowledge Alicia Ortega and Guillermo Trincado from the Universidad Austral de Chile for facilitating the two Nothofagus plot datasets.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by the authors.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/12/19
Y1 - 2017/12/19
N2 - Second growth forests of Nothofagus obliqua (roble), N. alpina (raulí), and N. dombeyi (coihue), known locally as RORACO, are among the most important native mixed forests in Chile. To improve the sustainable management of these forests, managers need adequate information and models regarding not only existing forest conditions, but their future states with varying alternative silvicultural activities. In this study, an individual-tree diameter growth model was developed for the full geographical distribution of the RORACO forest type. This was achieved by fitting a complete model by comparing two variable selection procedures: cross-validation (CV), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. A small set of predictors successfully explained a large portion of the annual increment in diameter at breast height (DBH) growth, particularly variables associated with competition at both the tree- and stand-level. Goodness-of-fit statistics for this final model showed an empirical coefficient of correlation (R2emp) of 0.56, relative root mean square error of 44.49% and relative bias of -1.96% for annual DBH growth predictions, and R2emp of 0.98 and 0.97 for DBH projection at 6 and 12 years, respectively. This model constitutes a simple and useful tool to support management plans for these forest ecosystems.
AB - Second growth forests of Nothofagus obliqua (roble), N. alpina (raulí), and N. dombeyi (coihue), known locally as RORACO, are among the most important native mixed forests in Chile. To improve the sustainable management of these forests, managers need adequate information and models regarding not only existing forest conditions, but their future states with varying alternative silvicultural activities. In this study, an individual-tree diameter growth model was developed for the full geographical distribution of the RORACO forest type. This was achieved by fitting a complete model by comparing two variable selection procedures: cross-validation (CV), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. A small set of predictors successfully explained a large portion of the annual increment in diameter at breast height (DBH) growth, particularly variables associated with competition at both the tree- and stand-level. Goodness-of-fit statistics for this final model showed an empirical coefficient of correlation (R2emp) of 0.56, relative root mean square error of 44.49% and relative bias of -1.96% for annual DBH growth predictions, and R2emp of 0.98 and 0.97 for DBH projection at 6 and 12 years, respectively. This model constitutes a simple and useful tool to support management plans for these forest ecosystems.
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U2 - 10.3390/f8120506
DO - 10.3390/f8120506
M3 - Research Article
AN - SCOPUS:85039800708
SN - 1999-4907
VL - 8
JO - Forests
JF - Forests
IS - 12
M1 - 506
ER -
