Dominant tree height for predicting diameter distribution in the Brazilian Western Amazon

Scientific investigations into the mathematical representation of diameter distributions are essential to sustainable management of natural forests, particularly in structurally complex tropical ecosystems where production and conservation must be reconciled. Despite wide application in even-aged stands, theoretical diameter redistribution models remain scarcely explored in natural forests due to age heterogeneity and vertical structural complexity. This study evaluates a novel approach for modelling theoretical diameter redistribution across sites with contrasting vertical dominance in the Brazilian Western Amazon, using dominant height as an explanatory variable. Biometric parametrization dataset was obtained from the National Forest Inventory across 26 municipalities in Rondônia State, comprising 96 clusters arranged in a Maltese cross design. Diameter redistribution was modeled by fitting the Logistic regression approach to estimate the parameters of four probability density functions (Weibull 2 P, Logistic 2 P, Normal, and Log-normal) based on dominant height. The Logistic regression model proved effective in redistributing diameters across sites with different vertical dominance, providing precise estimates of the Weibull 2 P parameters. Model transferability was confirmed through external validation using 518 clusters from the states of Acre, Amazonas, and Roraima. Dominant height emerges as a promising predictor variable for modelling theoretical diameter redistribution in natural forests. Sites with greater vertical dominance and higher structural diversity tend to exhibit diameter distributions with a more pronounced right-skewed tail. By linking diameter structure to dominant height, this study advances diameter distribution modelling and offers a scalable alternative compatible with remote sensing–based height data, supporting forest assessment and sustainable management in data-limited tropical regions. • Dominant height is an indicator of diameter distribution in natural Amazon forests. • Method bypasses the need for stand age in natural forest modelling. • Higher vertical dominance leads to more balanced diameter distributions. • Theoretical diameter redistribution reduces sampling effort using hypsometric data. • Logistic model accurately estimates Weibull parameters from height.