Quantitative Site Assessment: Some Practical Applications in British Forestry

A description is given of how basic site attributes can be related by means of regression equations, and with due regard to the possible effects of the tree crops on the soil, to the height of three important coniferous species (Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, and Japanese larch) in North Wales. Equations for Gwydyr forest are quoted, and examples given of their application (i) in predicting future yields on sites currently bearing conifer or hardwood crops, and on open land, (ii) in species selection for future rotations, (iii) in the realignment of compartment boundaries, (iv) in replicated or non-replicated forest experiments, and (v) in the broader fields of land use and rationalization of forest management.