A Dynamical Model Based on the Chapman–Richards Growth Equation for Fitting Growth Curves for Four Pine Species in Northern Mexico (original) (raw)

Tree growth models describe the growth and development of forest ecosystems by considering how the dimensions of each simulated tree change within a certain time. These models have commonly used three growth parameters that describe various biological processes and behaviours, considering a sigmoid growth function: (i) the upper asymptote (θ1), which is the maximal yield indicated by a final dimension (such as the maximal stem diameter); (ii) the maximum specific growth rate (θ2), defined as the slope of the tangent at the inflexion point; and (iii) the time elapsed (θ3), defined by the intercept of this tangent with the abscissas. To the best of our knowledge, however, associations between the three parameters have not been documented for tree species. Using diameter growth data from pine trees located in typical mixed and uneven-aged pine-oak forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico, our study aims were: (i) to quantify the putative associations between the three growth para...