Abstract:
【Objective】A Density Management Diagram (DMD), which includes growth and yield estimation functions and is designed to facilitate reasonable silvicultural measures, has been developed for
Larix gmelinii plantations in the Daxing’an Mountains. 【Method】The focus of this research was on the growth of
Larix gmelinii plantations in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Based on four times Chinese National Forest Inventory, 142 sample plots were collected. Reineke self-thinning equation was used to fit the growth curve and develop DMD. Based on DMD, the stand growth dynamic and yield was simulated under three different silvicultural measures: no management, reasonable thinning, and heavy thinning. 【Result】The Reineke self-thinning equation showed a good fitting effect with
R2 of 0.911 and RMSE of 0.008. The dominant height, and volume models fitted as auxiliary equations, with
R2 values above 0.9. The upper limit, lower limit, closed canopy lines, and two auxiliary equations were jointly drawn the DMD. Simulation results show that achieving the target stand average diameter at breast height (QMD) after two thinning resulted in a stand average yield of 19.25 m
3/hm
2 in the reasonably thinned stand, which was higher compared to the no-management stand, and the heavily thinned stand. The age and dominant height of the reasonably thinned stand in the target QMD were lower than that of the no-management stand, and the stand yield was significantly higher than the other two stands. 【Conclusion】The DMDs of
Larix gmelinii plantations in Daxing’an Mountains can directly show the stand growth and the effectiveness of management practices through the relationship among stand parameters, and after self-thinning, stands with a density between 349 and 757 trees/hm
2 could improve the yield of the stand under the target diameter.