Pv. Desanker et al., EVALUATING FOREST STRESS FACTORS USING VARIOUS FOREST GROWTH MODELINGAPPROACHES, Forest ecology and management, 69(1-3), 1994, pp. 269-282
This paper examines in detail the relative merits of several modeling
approaches to evaluating forest site, physical, chemical and climatic
stresses. The modeling approaches considered are (i) empirical growth
and yield (management) models (STEMS and FOREST); (ii) successional mo
dels (JABOWA/FORET gap-phase simulation models and FORSKA); (iii) fore
st process models (FOREST-BGC). The models were analyzed in terms of t
heir assumptions, formulation, and predictive ability. The analysis in
corporated intensive measurements of tree growth and weather condition
s taken over 7 years in two stands of northern hardwoods located in Up
per Michigan (USA). The process model was very detailed and required m
any input variables. All models performed poorly when predictions were
compared with the observed data making accurate site-specific predict
ions impossible without local calibrations.