A review of the growth behaviour of stands and trees in even-aged, monospecific forest

作者：Philip William. West · 发表于：Annals of Forest Science · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1186/s13595-024-01250-x · 被引用次数：36 · 研究领域：Forest ecology and management、Tree Root and Stability Studies、Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics

Abstract Key message Metabolic, physiological and inter-tree competitive processes interact to determine long-term growth behaviour of stands and individual trees of even-aged, monospecific forests. Context Even-aged, monospecific forests go through an initial phase from seedling establishment to full canopy development, then follows a progressive decline in growth rate, leading eventually to tree senescence and death. Individual trees show a relationship between their maximum possible growth rates and their sizes (hence ages), maxima that show a progressive decline as the trees grow larger. Growth rates are further restricted by competition with their neighbours for access from the site to the light, water and mineral nutrients essential to their growth. To ensure they remain standing upright and can access the resources they need, trees must maintain a balance between the sizes of both their above- and below-ground parts. Aims This review aimed to summarise what is known about the various biological factors that control these growth processes, both at the stand and individual tree levels. Conclusions The principal factors determining growth behaviour are species characteristics, environmental circumstances of the site on which the forest is growing, availability from the site of the resources essential to growth, sizes (hence ages) of individual trees, competition between neighbours for growth resources and partitioning of growth between the parts of individuals to maintain...