Forestry Advance Access originally published online on December 15, 2005
Forestry 2006 79(1):29-42; doi:10.1093/forestry/cpi059
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Advances in modelling and decision support systems for vegetation management in young forest plantations
1 Ensis Forest Biosecurity and Protection, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua, New Zealand
2 Forestry School, Canterbury University, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
* Corresponding author. E-mail: brian.richardson{at}ensisjv.com
The two most common forest vegetation management objectives are to (1) minimize resource competition, and (2) to develop methods for managing specific weed species. This paper reviews relevant models and decision support systems for assisting in achieving these objectives. The aim of reducing resource competition is to increase crop-tree growth and survival. Several modelling approaches have been applied to this problem and these generally estimate crop survival and growth benefits following some form of generalized weed control. Linkages with models of older tree crops are needed for comparing vegetation management strategies in the context of complete silvicultural regimes. More refined individual tree models use competition indices to estimate the quantity of weed vegetation within the growing space around each tree. The indices reflect resource use by the weeds and are sensitive to changes in weed growth over time and to the application of specific vegetation management treatments. Hybrid and process-based models have the potential to provide more generalized models of inter-specific competition, but their usefulness for forest practitioners has yet to be proven. Some forest vegetation management problems require a more detailed understanding of the biology and ecology of a specific species. In this case, different modelling approaches that consider overall weed population dynamics, distribution or spread may be appropriate.