A Bivariate Distribution Approach to Modeling Forest Diameter Distributions at Two Points in Time

SUMMARY A procedure for predicting diameter distribution at two points in time in single-species forest stands was developed based on the bivariate SB distribution model. The future diameter distribution is determined from an initial distribution and a specified initial-future diameter relationship. The model developed is theoretically appealing and it performed as well as, and in some cases better than, the established methods of forest diameter distribution prediction such as parameter recovery, percentile prediction, and parameter prediction. Although developed for forest diameter distribution prediction, the methods presented here should be useful in a wide array of problems where initial and future distributions of some size characteristic are needed.