Optimal Tree Increment Models for the Northeastern United States

Abstract

I used the potential relative increment (PRI) methodology to develop optimal tree diameter growth models for the Northeastern United States. Thirty species from the Eastwide Forest Inventory Database yielded 69,676 individuals, which were then reduced to fast-growing subsets for PRI analysis. For instance, only 14 individuals from the greater than 6,300-tree eastern white pine sample were used to fit its PRI model. The Northeastern northern red oak model predicted faster small tree growth than those derived for the Lake States or Midsouth, but it soon fell behind the other regional models and never again matched their performance. Predicted maximum increment differences between regions rarely exceeded 0.25 cm, however. The PRI methodology also can help identify possibly erroneous individual tree records.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the fifth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium

Citation

Bragg, Don C. 2005. Optimal Tree Increment Models for the Northeastern United States. In: Proceedings of the fifth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2003 November 18-20; New Orleans, LA. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-69. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 222p.