The Relationship of Maximum Canopy Leaf Area to Forest Growth in Eastern Washington
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Date
1982
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Abstract
Because forests in eastern Washington often exhibit stocking levels significantly below those predicted by standard yield tables, a method was sought to better estimate potential forest-site productivity. Maximum canopy development, expressed as layers of leaves per unit of ground area, or Leaf Area Index (LAI), was more closely related to maximum current stemwood production than was site index alone or a combination of site index, basal area, and age; however, the relationship was not regionally independent. A ratio of annual stemwood production per unit of leaf area, derived from measurements of radial growth and sapwood thickness, was responsive to changes in canopy density within a particular forest but was not sufficiently sensitive to estimate maximum potential LAI.
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Northwest Science, Vol.56 No.2,1982