Travis: The density in old growth stands (i.e. multi-aged stands) is variable. Even within one acre, there would be patches that are very dense and patches with few trees. The density in younger stands is more uniform because most of the trees are about the same size.
The most interesting factor that changes is the shape of the diameter distribution, which goes from unimodal (close to normal) with a small mean dbh and small variance in young forests to unimodal with large mean and wide variance in older forests of the stem exclusion stage of development (say 100-120 years old), to unimodal with a second peak on the left in forests in the transition to uneven aged (120-150 years old), which have clumps of small trees entering gaps and the remnants of the unimodal even-aged peak, to almost negative exponential in old-multi-aged stands, so that there are a lot more small trees than large trees. Density goes down as even-aged stands age and the remaining tree crowns get larger and larger, it reaches a minimum in old even-aged stands and then goes up in old multi-aged stands, but not quite as high as a young even-aged stand, as gaps vacated by the death of large trees are filled with clumps of saplings. Lee At 08:13 AM 10/13/2008, you wrote: >Hello all, > >I have a friend working on a project for school regarding stand >densities/ trees per acre. Does anyone have any information regarding >tree spacing or density in unmanaged/old growth forests, particularly >broadleaf and mixed forests of the northeast? Is there an old growth >characteristic that includes spacing or density? > >Best regards, >Travis Morse > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org You are subscribed to the Google Groups "ENTSTrees" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
