Determining the Optimal Density of Phoebe bournei Plantations Based on Dynamic Programming under Close-to-Nature Management Measures

Danmei Wang, Jiping Li and Tao Tang
Additional contact information
Danmei Wang: Faculty of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Jiping Li: Faculty of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Tao Tang: Faculty of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Close-to-nature management (CTNM) is the most promising option for plantation silviculture and has received widespread attention in recent years. Stand density is a key variable in CTNM, as it directly influences growth and yield. Research for the optimal density that maximizes the total harvest has been ongoing. In this paper, a dynamic programming model was applied to the CTNM of Phoebe bournei plantations for the first time to solve the problem of stand density and target tree density control. This paper took Phoebe bournei plantations in Jindong Forest Farm of Hunan Province as the research object. Based on the data of seven consecutive years from 2015 to 2021, Richard’s growth equation was used to fit the height growth equation and basal area growth equation of Phoebe bournei . Stand growth was divided into five development stages according to the forest growth process and characteristics. Stand density and basal area were selected as two-dimensional state variables, and the maximum total harvest in the entire stand growth process was used as the objective function to establish a dynamic programming model. The optimal stand density and target tree density at each growth stage of the stand under three different site conditions were determined. According to the results obtained, the objective forest shape was designed for the stand under three types of site conditions, which can provide a theoretical basis for the CTNM of Phoebe bournei plantations to make the stand achieve the maximum harvest.

Keywords: close-to-nature management; sustainable forest management; optimal stand density; target tree density; Phoebe bournei plantation; objective forest shape (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/2/847/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/2/847/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:2:p:847-:d:723188

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().