Thinning simulation in Hovenia dulcis population trough density management dendrogram

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to simulate density and interventions through density management dendrogram in a population of Hovenia dulcis located in the central region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It was utilized Data from crown and stem diameters, collected in three types of tree stratum dominant, intermediate, and dominant, through the Punctual Density Method developed by Spurr, in a stand of approximately 1.3 hectares of Hovenia dulcis 25 years old were used. Due to the high variability in the trees dominant height the area was divided into two sites, I and II. The results showed that statistic significant difference was detected only between the dominant stratum of site I, and the other strata on both sites. The angular coefficients of the regression adjustment of the density lines were -2.492 for the site I dominant stratum and -1.085 for the others. It was also observed that the best way to manage the stand would be one thinning, if it was formed only by trees with similar dimensions of the dominant stratum of Site I, and four thinnings if the site was composed by individuals belonging to the other strata.