Q Factor in Forest Management

Forest management recommendation based on q factor approach

Introduction:

One of the main challenges with practicing uneven aged silviculture world wide is to regulateits stocking and to maintain the stand structure in stable equilibrium. To manage the unevenforest, different forest scientists and professionals had long been attempting to establish thestandard of check method for regulation of density in such stands.The q factor approach is one of the most applied silvicultural guideline for regulating thestocking of uneven aged forest world wide particularly in North America. The q factor is theratio of stem numbers in one size (DBH) class to the stem numbers in the next larger size(DBH) class. It was first discovered by F. De Liocourt and since then was known as DeLiocourt’s law. However, many scientists including Meyer (1933)Kerr (2001) and Cancino and Gadow (2002) have worked out equations or spreadsheetcalculation methods for this. As a partial work (10% of group assignment), this paper aims atfinding out the ideal stem per hectare (SPH) distribution by DBH classes for Coed Dolgarrogslope assuming that the inventoried data represents the forest.The standard equation for number of stem in any particular DBH class is given by:

1

0

i

kd i

Nke

− ⋅

= ⋅

1

Where,k

0

,k

1

are coefficients

d

i

is mid-point of the diameter class

N

i

is number of trees per diameter class;and as defined above the q factor is given by:

1

ii

N q N

+

=

, where

N

i

is the number of trees in one diameter class, and

N

i+1

is the number of trees in the next larger diameter class

1

All formulae copied and pasted from www.bangor.ac.uk/blackboard

Methods

This paper adopted the concept of ideal SPH distribution over size class calculation assuggested by Kerr (2001) and Cancino and Gadow (2002). The consecutive steps are brieflydescribed for the sake of clear understanding:

Step one

:

Input Variables and assumptionsThere are four input variables for calculation of the ideal distribution the DBH class width,target basal area (m.sq/ha), target DBH (cm) and the q factor. As per the recommendation of Kerr (2001), the target basal area, target DBH and q factor were assumed to be 30, 50 and1.3. Similarly, since the DBH class width was 4 in the field inventory data analysis, it wasadhered with this calculation.

Step two

: Calculation of Constant K

3

by using

1231

40000

ciii

kqd

π

−=

= ⋅ ⋅

∑

2

,Where

c

is the number of diameter classes

1

i

q

−

is the q-factor raised to the power

i-1

, this calculation assumes the uniform q = 1.3 fordiameter classes for simplicity, therefore,

1

i

q

−

=

1.3K3 is calculated to estimate the number of stem in largest (target) diameter class by dividingthe target basal area with k3 constant (described in next step)

Table 1

: The calculation of Constant

d

i

i q

-1

*d

i2

d

i

i q

-1

*d

i2

5

12 448.040

33

5 3110.293

9

11 1116.654

37

4 3007.693

13

10 1792.160

41

3 2840.890

17

9 2357.462

45

2 2632.500

21

8 2767.210

49

1 2401.000

25

7 3016.756

53

0 0.000

29

6 3122.574

k

3

2.247

Step three

: Estimation of N1The number of the number of stems in target diameter class is calculated by the formula,

13

BA N k

=

target

= 30/2.247

=

13

, therefore there should be 13 number of stem per hectare (SPH;ref table 2; DBH Class 49).

Step four

: Determination of ideal diameter distribution using assumed q factor and N1

2

(Calculated as Cancino and Gadow, 2002; Kerr’s formula for k

3

differ from it which yields k

3

= 2.58; Ref. qfactor.xls)

The formula,

1

ii

NqN

−

= ⋅

was used to determine the SPH of i th DBH Class; Forexample, the number of stem in DBH Class 45 = 1.3 * 13 = 17.

Result and Discussion:

Table 2 shows the result of inventory (real) and ideal distribution of stem per hectare (SPH).Similarly, the figure 1 illustrates the visual comparison of real (zigzag curve) and idealdistribution (reverse J shape curve) of SPH over diameter classes.As evident from the difference (334) of sum of SPH real (632) and SPH ideal (966); theforest stand is under stocked. The next interpretation of result is that there is crowding of sapling in DBH class 5, which needs to be removed for competition reduction. Similarly, theDBH class 29 and 37 shows slight increase over the ideal SPH which technically should bethinned, however, considering the species (it is Oak), it is better to retain them as seedbearers because of poor existing regeneration of Oak on the site.

Table 2: Real Inventory +Ideal (equilibrium) data at Dolgarrog SlopeDBHclassFrequency(4*15*15 m^2Plots)SPH(real)BA real(sq.m/ha)SPH(ideal)BA ideal(sq.m/ha)Differencein SPH5