IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecomod/v498y2024ics0304380024003016.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Variations on the maximum density-size lines to climate and site factors for Larix spp. plantations in northeast China

Author

Listed:
  • Dong, Lingbo
  • Chen, Guanmou
  • Chung, Woodam
  • Liu, Zhaogang

Abstract

The maximum density-size line (MDSL) is a valuable tool in sustainable forest management, as it shows the relationship between site occupancy measures and mean tree size on a log-log scale. However, the responses of MDSLs to different climate and site variables still need to be clarified. Thus, this study aimed to assess the potential effects of various climate- and site-related factors on the slopes and intercepts of MDSLs for Larix spp. plantations in northeast China. The parameters of MDSLs were estimated using stochastic frontier regression (SFR) with three different error distribution assumptions, namely half-normal distribution (HN), exponential distribution (ED), and truncated-normal distribution (TN). Spatial distributions of maximum stand density index (SDImax) were mapped under different climate scenarios (RCP 8.5, RCP 4.5, and RCP2.6). The results revealed that the slopes on MDSLs without covariates were significantly shallower than Reineke's slope (−1.605), ranging from −1.2485 to −1.2026. Of the 22 covariates considered, 13 variables on SFR-HN and SFR-TN and 16 variables on SFR-ED had significant influences on MDSLs. The optimal MDSL model, including mean annual temperature (MAT) and soil pH as covariates using a HN assumption, decreased the Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) by approximately 7.76%. The results also indicated that increasing MAT significantly reduced the maximum stand density for stands with a natural logarithm of quadratic mean diameter [ln(QMD)] below 2.6, while consistent increases were observed over the entire ln(QMD) range for soil pH. Moreover, the mean SDImax within the whole region increased significantly from 15.04% under RCP4.5 to 27.78% under RCP8.5. These findings emphasize the significant influences of climate and site conditions on the MDSL, thereby calibrating on traditional density management strategies may contribute significantly on carbon sequestration capacity of forests in the face of climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Dong, Lingbo & Chen, Guanmou & Chung, Woodam & Liu, Zhaogang, 2024. "Variations on the maximum density-size lines to climate and site factors for Larix spp. plantations in northeast China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 498(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:498:y:2024:i:c:s0304380024003016
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110913
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380024003016
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110913?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:498:y:2024:i:c:s0304380024003016. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-modelling .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.