© 1990 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Dependence of some stand characteristics on stand density
Jouko Laasasenaho and Jyrki Koivuniemi
Department of Forest Mensuration and Management, University of Helsinki, Unioninkatu 40 B, SF-00170 Helsinki, Finland /
Summary
The development of stand basal area at the height of the lowest living branch was studied in four Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) plantations subjected to various levels of thinning. Crown limit basal area (defined as the sum of the cross-sectional
areas of stems estimated at the base of the living crown per hectare) increased after each thinning until it matched that
of unthinned plots. In unthinned plots, the crown limit basal area remained constant during the 26-year period of study.
The dependence of the logarithm of stem number on the logarithm of the mean stem diameter at breast height was curved and
dependent on the degree of thinning. The dependence of the logarithm of stem number on the logarithm of the mean stem diameter
at crown height was linear and slightly dependent on the degree of thinning. This dependence can be used as the self-thinning
rule.
