Forest Dynamics, Growth and Yield ─ From Measurement to Model

The aim of this book is to improve the understanding of forest dynamics and the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. How do tree crowns, trees or entire forest stands respond to thinning in the long term? What effect do tree species mixtures and multi-layering have on the productivity and stability of trees, stands or forest enterprises? How do tree and stand growth respond to stress factors such as climate change or air pollution? Furthermore, in the event that one has acquired knowledge about the effects of thinning, mixture and stress, how can one make that knowledge applicable to decision-making in forestry practice? The experimental designs, analytical methods, general relationships and models for answering questions of this kind are the focus of this book. Given the structures dealt with, which range from plant organs to the tree, stand and enterprise levels, and the processes analysed in a time frame of days or months to decades or even centuries, this book is directed at all readers interested in trees, forest stands and forest ecosystems. This work has been compiled for students, scientists, lecturers, forest planners, forest managers, and consultants.

Hans Pretzsch received his Ph. D. in Forest Growth and Yield Science and Biometrics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munich and an honorary doctorate from the Czech University of Agriculture in Prague. Dr. Pretzsch has been Professor of Forest Growth and Yield Science at the Technical University of Munich since 1994 and is responsible for the network of long-term experimental plots in Bavaria, which date back to 1860. For the past 20 years he has focused on general rules of tree and stand growth, forest modelling, and the diagnosis of forest growth disturbances. He currently teaches forestry and sustainable resource management to undergraduate and graduate students as well as professional foresters.