Stand responses following partial cutting in western Montana

Abstract

Forty-five permanent research installations were established on Champion International Corporation ownership throughout western Montana in 1984-1985. Plots were located in stands with recent harvest activity with a range of harvest intensity and site characteristics. Using increment core data and allometric relationships, the growth trajectories of individual trees were reconstructed. Some 15 yr after cutting, growth rates were similar to or greater than yield table estimates for naturally regenerated, even-aged stands on similar sites with similar volumes. The Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) (Inland Empire variant, version 6.1) generally underestimated dimensional increment on the study stands. Residuals of dimensional growth were decreased when using FVS's self-calibration feature. West. J. Appl. For.