Coniferous Stands Characterized with The Weibull Distribution

Abstract

The Weibull distribution, [Formula: see text], summarized diameter, basal area, surface area, biomass, and crown profile distribution data well for several different ages of white and loblolly pine plantations. The data for diameter, basal area, surface area, and biomass were easily summarized by this one distribution in a theoretically consistent fashion. This is not possible with the normal and the gamma distributions, and the lognormal gives less satisfactory results. The distribution function should prove useful in modeling tree stands since only the parameter values need to be changed over time for the above variables. The change in these parameters may be a good way to characterize and interpret changes in stands over time.