Abstract

VARGAS-LARRETA, Benedicto et al. A dominant height growth and site index model for Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl. in northeastern Mexico. Agrociencia [online]. 2013, vol.47, n.1, pp.91-106. ISSN 2521-9766.

Foresters in northeastern Mexico currently use height growth curves developed 20 years ago to estimate the dominant height and productivity of Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl. The development of new curves could improve the ability to predict heights and would allow increasingly precise yield projections for this species. Data from stem analysis of 72 P. pseudostrobus dominant trees growing in natural stands in Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and Coahuila (northeastern Mexico), were used to evaluate several dynamic site equations derived with the Generalized Algebraic Difference Approach (GADA). All the equations directly estimate dominant height and site index from any dominant height and age. The fittings were carried out using the base-age-invariant nested iterative approach. A second-order continuous-time autoregressive error structure was used to correct the inherent autocorrelation of the longitudinal data used. The GADA formulation derived from the Korf model, by considering the asymptote and the rate parameters as related to site productivity, had the best fit to the data. Therefore, it is recommended for estimating dominant height growth and site index for Pinus pseudostrobus in northeastern Mexico.

Keywords : site quality; height-age relationship; generalized algebraic difference approach; base-age dynamic equation; autocorrelation.

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