Modeling dominant height growth of teak plantations in the Caribbean region of Colombia

Abstract

Identifying sites with adequate biological productivity is a critical factor in ensuring timber production and the profitability of forest-based investments. The productivity of forest sites is influenced by climatic, edaphic and topographic variables, as well as by silvicultural practices. Site index is a phytocentric method widely used to assess site productivity and its estimation is based on dominant height growth modeling. Teak is the fifth most planted forest species in Colombia, and its importance is associated with high economic returns and profitability. This study aims to model dominant height growth using the generalized algebraic difference approach for teak plantations established in the Caribbean region of Colombia. The Lundqvist-Korf model, in which the correlation of the residuals was handled with a continuous autoregressive specification of the first order, resulted in a satisfactory statistical estimation of the dominant height growth. The results indicate that in the Caribbean region of Colombia, productive sites for the establishment of teak plantations can be found as productive as in some tropical American countries and better than some sites in Asian countries. This suggests a potential for the expansion of teak plantations and forest-based investments in Colombia.