Modeling growth dynamics of juvenile loblolly pine plantations can help to address
important management decisions that have to be made in young stands. The
present study addressed diameter and height prediction as well as crown development
analysis as functions of independent variables such as site index, relative spacing and
age for trees younger than ten years old. It was found that height prediction for
trees one and two years old was a function of the products of the variables site index
and age (or square root of age) and relative spacing and age (or square root of age).
For trees three years old and older these were also the independent variables used
to explain height prediction but in this case age (or square root of age) was another
significant independent variable. In regard to diameter prediction it was observed
that groundline diameter was a function of age for trees one and two years old; while
this variable was also a function of site index and relative spacing for trees three, four
and five years old. For trees older than five years old diameter at breast height was a
function of age, site index and relative spacing. The analysis of crown development
showed that for trees five years old and older variables like diameter at breast height,
total height, age, site index and relative spacing were significant when crown ratio
was the dependent variable. For trees younger than five years old, groundline diameter
and the other same independent variables (i.e. total height, age, index and
relative spacing) were again found significant when crown ratio was the dependent
variable.
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