Dominant height and site index for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in two forestry clusters in the Southern Region of Brazil

Abstract

For forest planning in the medium and long term, it is necessary to know the structure and dynamics of forest stands that will be responsible for supplying raw materials to forest-based industries. The classification of the sites for the knowledge of the quality and the potential productivity of the forest areas are crucial for the decision-making in forest management, orienting on the places to make the investments to stablish forest stands. The goal of this study was to adjust, compare and evaluate the behavior of three site index models for Pinus taeda plantations located in two forestry development zones in Paraná and Santa Catarina states, Southern Region of Brazil, using dominant height and site functions. To describe the relationship between the dominant height and age variables and then to classify the areas as to their potential productivity, the following site functions were adjusted: Chapman-Richards, Prodan and Schumacher. The Chapman-Richards model was superior to the others, and the resulting curves presented anamorphic pattern and stability. The curve fitted in this study estimates higher dominant heights than some previous studies, and dominant heights less than or equal to some more current studies.