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Spatially explicit basal area growth of Norway spruce

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Presented Models describe the current growth rate. These models are good tools for growth prediction in the near future and will be compareable with further models; they will demonstrate the Norway spruce growth changes considering the climate change.

Abstract

Tree growth depends on genetic, climatic, microsite conditions and stand structure variations. A new evaluation method was carried out for studying mutual tree competition based on the social area of each trees. Nine Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands were investigated. The objectives of this study were to quantify each individual tree basal area increment during the years 2008–2012 with respect to the social area of the individual trees, competition indexes and the dendrometric characteristics of the trees. The social area of the trees in the investigated plots varied from 0.06 to 43.04 m2 where correlation coefficient (R 2) with each individual basal area increment was significantly high. Distance characteristics [e.g. minimum weighted distance (D i min) and maximum weighted distance (D i max)] provided a correlation coefficient (with individual tree basal area increments) varying from 0.69 to 0.84. Values of the R 2 between individual basal area increments and nearest trees dependent (NTD6) competition indexes varied from 0.41 to 0.66, while for distance-dependent competition indexes it varied from 0.59 to 0.78. To facilitate 5-year individual basal area increment inventories (I g5), linear models were used to develop the new specific functions. Individual tree growth models based on the distance measurement components and their combinations resulted in very high estimation accuracy. Therefore, the best model to determining basal area increment is the proven linear model using a social tree area, stem diameter at the breast height and crown length as input variables.

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Author contribution statement

Jan Krejza is expert for using Fieldmap tools and did major part of fieldwork and prepared major part of manuscript. Jan Světlík partly helped with fieldwork, prepared application for data analysis and went through the whole mathematical process. Radek Pokorný helped with manuscript preparation and with data interpretation.

Acknowledgements

This research were supported by project of IGA MENDELU in Brno—project No. 84/2013 Dynamika přirozené obnovy v ekologických podmínkách porostních mezer na příkladu ŠLP Křtiny, project No. TA02010945 supported by Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, and project co-funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme FP7 under Grant agreement no. 284181 “Trees4Future”.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Silviculture, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic

    Jan Krejza & Radek Pokorný

  2. CzechGlobe, Global Change Research Centre Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Bělidla 986/4a, Brno, 603 00, Czech Republic

    Jan Krejza & Radek Pokorný

  3. Department of Forest Ecology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, Brno, 613 00, Czech Republic

    Jan Světlík

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  1. Jan Krejza
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Correspondence to Jan Krejza.

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Communicated by R. Grote.

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Krejza, J., Světlík, J. & Pokorný, R. Spatially explicit basal area growth of Norway spruce. Trees 29, 1545–1558 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1236-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1236-x

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