Influence of weather and climate variables on the basal area growth of individual shortleaf pine trees.

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on the influence of weather and climate variables on the basal area growth of individual shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) trees. Results show that that non-linear least squares modelling methods with weather variables used to estimate parameters in an individual-tree basal area growth model for naturally occurring shortleaf pine indicated better fit than a model without weather variables. A small but significant influence of weather variables including precipitation and average air temperature was observed in the modified individual-tree basal area growth model of shortleaf pine.

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