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Predicting log grade volumes in northern hardwood stands of southern Quebec

Summary

Published in ISCHP 2015: 5th International Scientific Conference on Hardwood Processing. 15-17 septembre 2015. Québec, QC. 107-114

The establishment of precise relationships between the characteristics of standing trees and log grade volumes would improve forest management decisions in hardwood stands. In this study, a two-part conditional model (to account for the excess of zero responses within certain log grades) was used as a framework to establish this relationship for some important species in hardwood and mixed stands. Models were developed for sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.), paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.). In the model assessment process, we also tested whether the tree grade classification based on stem quality evaluation could be simplified without losing too much information about log product assortment. Higher variations among species were observed in the predictions of log grade occurrences, while the estimations of conditional volume followed similar and increasing trends with tree size. The Akaike information criteria (AIC) showed that the specifically designed tree grade classification best predicted both log grade occurrence and log grade volume for sugar maple and yellow birch, but not for paper birch and American beech. For these two species, grouping the highest quality classes of the tree grade classification system was found to be the best predictor of log grade occurrence and volume. This result can probably be explained by insufficient sampling, especially for large trees of higher grades. Our results support previous findings that tree grade classification would improve the prediction of log product assortments in northern hardwood stands.

Sector(s): 

Forests

Categorie(s): 

Scientific Article

Theme(s): 

Forest Growth and Yield Modelling, Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture

Author(s)

HAVRELJUK, Filip, Steve BÉDARD, François GUILLEMETTE and Josianne DEBLOIS

Year of publication :

2015

Format :

PDF available upon request

ISBN

978-0-86488-571-5

Keywords :

feuillus, qualité des arbres, qualité des billes, prévision du panier de produits, modélisation, érable à sucre, bouleau jaune, bouleau à papier, hêtre à grandes feuilles, Article scientifique de recherche forestière, modélisation de la croissance et du rendement des forêts, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements feuillus, Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, Betula papyrifera, Fagus grandifolia, forest growth and yield modelling, silviculture and yield of natural forests - hardwood stands, hardwoods, stem quality, log quality, prediction of product assortments, modelling, sugar maple, yellow birch, paper birch, American beech

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