Standard Analysis of Long-Term Experimental Plots

Abstract

Due to the long time periods of observation, dating back to the 1860s and 1870s for many sample plots, and the ongoing management of the plots in accordance with prescribed research plans, standards for data collection, organisation and analysis are of particular importance. Only when standard collection and analysis protocols are applied to past survey data can the time series, so valuable in forest growth research, be obtained for the entire lifespan of trees or stands. In this chapter we adopt the European beech sample plot FAB 15, one of the oldest existing thinning trials, to illustrate the results of the standardised analysis at the stand level, presenting a description of the fundamental characteristics of stands and their long-term responses to thinning.