Comparative analysis of the Northern Eurasia regions coniferous forest stands within the framework of the ecological-physiological model
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper analyzes estimates of coniferous forest growth dynamics in Eurasian regions using an ecological-physiological model (EPM) previously developed by the authors. This model is thermodynamically sound and contains four parameters determined through an optimization procedure and typically have an ecological-physiological meaning. The model utilizes growth progression tables (GPTs) of stand bioproductivity as empirical data. Unlike the authors' earlier studies, which used generalized stand bioproductivity data to validate the model, this paper utilizes local growth progression tables (GPTs) from various regions to study the influence of coniferous forest stand geography on growth dynamics. A total of 53 first-class coniferous stands were examined, including 25 natural pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands, 18 natural and cultivated spruce (Picea abies) stands, and 10 natural and cultivated larch (Larix) stands. The EFM demonstrated that the model parameter characterizing the specific rate of resource consumption during tree growth is independent of both regional geography and stand species, but is a characteristic of the stand's forest quality. The second model parameter, expressing the relationship between stand surface area and biomass, is constant only within a given species, indicating the stand's affiliation with a specific species. This means that the parameters of the ecological-physiological model not only have a clear "physical" meaning but also serve as generalized stand characteristics that determine both the stand's forest quality and its species. The thermodynamic justification of the applied EFM demonstrates the validity of the model parameters, which, in turn, provide a thermodynamic justification for the bonitet scale widely used in forestry practice.
Source: Forestry Engineering Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7117313840