Abstract

TORRES-ROJO, Juan M.  and  VALLES-GANDARA, Arturo G.. Productivity index for multi species sites through distance functions in forest sites. Agrociencia [online]. 2007, vol.41, n.6, pp.687-700. ISSN 2521-9766.

With the purpose of estimating the relative productivity of forest sites with timber use and various species, a methodology is described based on an efficiency index derived from radial and directional distance functions with reference to one or various species. In addition, a methodology is presented for isolating the effect of density on the estimation of site productivity, used to compare the traditional estimations of site index with the estimations of relative efficiency derived from distance functions. Results show that the evaluation of productivity in multi species stands is relative to the composition of the stand, given that the higher the diversity of species, the more efficiently the site tends to be used. The traditional estimations of site index are not good estimations of total productivity in sites with various species, and the best estimations of efficiency in this type of site, in terms of their approximation to real productivity, are those derived from estimations of radial distance using all of the species in the site.

Keywords : Efficiency; distance function; inter species site index; forest productivity.