Dry matter content and production of closespaced Pinus radiata

The weight and production of the above-ground components of a stand of Pinus radiata D. Don were estimated between ages 5 and 13 years. Initial stocking was approximately 6900 stems/ha. The weight of 1-year-old and total foliage peaked at about age 7, with older foliage forming an increasing percentage of total foliage weight as the stand aged. l ive branch weight remained approximately constant but weight of dead branches increased with time. Loss of dead branch material through decay and shedding was about 5 % per year. Maximum mean annual increment was 21 t/ha/yr and current annual production about 36 t/ha/yr. The allocation of increment among components indicated a shift to stem-wood production at the expense of needle, branch, and bark production through-out the 8 years of growth