Modeling the effect of neighborhood competition on tree diameter growth in the Pacific Northwest Coast Range

Author

Htet Lin Naing, Mississippi State UniversityFollow

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Himes, Austin

Committee Member

Renninger, Heidi J.

Committee Member

Poudel, Krishna P.

Date of Degree

8-8-2023

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Forestry

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Forestry

Abstract

Trees compete for various resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients, which can be expressed as numerical terms, called competition indices (CI). Competition between individual trees is correlated with their growth and mortality. Therefore, CIs are used as independent variables to develop, improve and modify growth and yield models. This study was conducted to test the effect of neighborhood competition on tree diameter growth among Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), in the Pacific Northwest Coast Range, USA. After testing seven distance-independent CIs and three distance-dependent CIs, only the distance-independent CIs were found to significantly affect the diameter growth model. Among them, CIs with basal area and diameter information were the most impactful. As a result, a simple CI was very effective in a model that accounts for the basal area information of different tree species.

Sponsorship

Lincoln Scholarship Program

Recommended Citation

Naing, Htet Lin, "Modeling the effect of neighborhood competition on tree diameter growth in the Pacific Northwest Coast Range" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 5870.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/5870