Modeling diameter growth for pinyon and juniper trees in dryland forests

An individual-tree model has been developed to estimate diameter growth of pinyon and juniper trees in dryland forests throughout New Mexico, USA. The model was built from radial growth data on 917 trees sampled from 82 plots. Individual-tree growth can be predicted from measurements of tree diameter at the root collar, from the number of basal stems per tree, and from past 10-year diameter growth of the median-sized stem in the stand of interest. Model development is patterned after growth and yield models for temperate forests in the western United States. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.