Ulises Diéguez-Aranda , José Antonio Grandas-Arias, Juan Gabriel Álvarez-González, Klaus von Gadow

Site quality curves for birch stands in north-western Spain

Diéguez-Aranda U., Grandas-Arias J. A., Álvarez-González J. G., Gadow K. v. (2006). Site quality curves for birch stands in north-western Spain. Silva Fennica vol. 40 no. 4 article id 319. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.319

Abstract

A model for predicting the height growth of even-aged, birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) dominated stands in Galicia (north-western Spain) was developed. Data from stem analysis of 214 trees were used for model construction. Two dynamic site equations derived with the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) were tested, which combine compatible site index and height models in one common equation. Both equations are base-age invariant and directly estimate height and site index from any height and age. The fittings were done in one stage using the base-age-invariant dummy variables method. A second-order continuous-time autoregressive error structure was used to correct the inherent autocorrelation of the longitudinal data used in this study. Cieszewski’s model best described the data. This model is therefore recommended for height growth prediction and site classification of birch stands in Galicia.

Keywords
site quality; Betula pubescens; generalized algebraic difference approach; base-age invariant dynamic equation; Hossfeld model; Galicia

Received 17 January 2006 Accepted 6 July 2006 Published 31 December 2006

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