Stand Density Management: an Alternative Approach and Its Application to Douglas-fir Plantations

Abstract A method of viewing stand density as it relates to volume production and tree size is developed in the form of a simple density management diagram applicable to plantations of coastal Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, on all sites. Three prominent points in stand development, crown closure, imminent competition-mortality and the maximum size-density relationship are defined in terms of tree size and stand density, and their implication for stand dynamics is discussed. A relative density index is presented as a basis for quantifying tree growth and stand yield as a function of density. The trade-off between maximizing individual tree size or stand yield is considered; this recurring dilemma for forest managers can be rationalized on the basis of the density management diagram . Forest Sci. 25:518-532.