Using miniature-scale plantations as experimental tools for assessing sustainability issues

Abstract

Decisions concerning ecosystem management, forest certification, and sustainable management require stand- and tree-level information that reflects current silvicultural and management practices. Typical forest stands, however, take years to mature making timely data collection, analyses, and reporting difficult. Further, collecting and evaluating certain forest stand information that affects sustainability such as belowground biomass response or response to changing climatic factors is often intractable. One modeling tool that may be useful for supplying future informational needs at the tree and stand level is the use of miniature scale plantations. Data from a miniature scale spacing trial for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) that was established at 1:16 scale to an operational study suggest that important stand characteristics associated with forest productivity develop similarly at the two scales. Once models are formulated that relate the size of trees (spatially scaled models) and the rates of growth (temporally scaled models) grown at miniature scale to their operational scale counterparts, it may become feasible to conduct experimentation in miniature and make inferences to operational scales.