Development of a Climate-Sensitive Structural Stand Density Management Model for Red Pine

Authors
Peter Newton
Resource Date:
2022
Page Length
22

The primary goal of this study was to develop a climate-sensitive modular-based structural stand density management model for red pine plantations situated within central North America. For a given climate change scenario, geographic location, site quality and crop plan, the model enabled the prediction of a multitude of management-relevant performance metrics. The core modules responsible for quantifying stand dynamics and structural change were developed using 491 tree-list measurements and 146 stand-level summaries obtained from 98 remeasured permanent sample plots situated within 21 geographically separated plantation-based initial spacing and thinning experiments distributed throughout southern and north-central Ontario. In summary, the provision of the red pine SSDMM and its unique ability to account for locale-specific climate change effects on crop planning forecasts inclusive of utility pole production, should be of consequential utility as the complexities of silvicultural decision-making intensify during the Anthropocene.