A Method for Incorporating the Within-stand Variation into Forest Management Planning

The study discussed the possible bias in growth prediction and estimated thinning removal caused by the present practice of ocular compartmentwise forest inventory, which condenses the field data into one record per compartment. The problem was studied by comparing the results based on one field record to the results calculated from nine or ten systematically placed relascope plots per compartment. The thinning removal calculated from the removals of the individual field plots was considerably greater than the removal calculated from one field record. The difference between the two calculation methods was greatest in irregular stands. The predicted future growth was almost the same in both methods. It was concluded that the management plan could be improved by keeping the inventory plots separate in the calculations.