Forest Growth and Yield Modeling

Abstract

Forest growth models attempt to quantify the growth of a forest, and are commonly used for two principal purposes: to predict the future status of a forest and the nature of any harvests from that forest; and to help consider alternative cultivation practices. Models may also find other uses, such as in education, communicating information, etc. Depending on the purpose of the model, modelers may choose to emphasize physiological detail or statistical efficiency, but generally seek both biological and statistical accuracy.