Tree health influences diameter growth along site quality, crown class and age gradients in Nothofagus forests of Southern Patagonia.

A BELTRAN; G MARTÍNEZ PASTUR; H IVANCICH; MV LENCINAS; L CHAUCHARD

Journal of Forest Science

Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Lugar: Praga; Año: 2013 vol. 59 p. 328 - 336

1212-4834

Tree diameter growth is an important variable in forest management. Management plans are often based on differences in tree growth across stands. Assessment of individual tree health can refine estimates of biomass accumulation and tree growth. Tree health is mostly estimated during forest inventories from the external characteristics of the tree trunk and crown, and can be related to the amount of dead wood. Individual tree health may vary along natural gradients (e.g., stand site quality or tree crown classes) and relatively rapid assessment of tree health may provide valuable insights to individual tree growth and stand productivity along these gradients. Here we examine the influence of tree health on annual tree diameter increment along gradients in stand site quality, crown classes and tree age in Nothofagus pumilio forests of Southern Patagonia. Healthy trees had higher annual diameter growth than unhealthy trees along all gradients (site quality, crown class, tree age). We argue that tree health could be employed as a qualitative variable in models of tree growth to estimate aboveground biomass and carbon stocks in this forest system.