Growth and yield models for Pinus radiata in Tasmania 133

A set of growth and yield models for intensively managed Pinus radiata D. Don plantations in Tasmania have been constructed so that temporary inventory plot data can be used as the starting point for the simulation of stand dynamics. Stand-level increment models have been derived for mean dominant height, basal area, mortality, and volume. A combined parameter prediction and recovery method was used to forecast the parameters of the Weibull distribution which was used as a model of the diameter distribution. A model for the simulation of thinning has also been constructed. Where possible the models have been cast as generalised linear models and a quasi-likelihood approach was adopted in the modelling of the random com-ponent of each model, resulting in an iteratively reweighted least squares procedure for the estimation of model parameters. A Poisson-like variance function was used to model the error variance of forecasts of stand variables-mean dominant height, basal area, and volume. Binomial or binomial-like variance functions were used for the mortality, diameter distribution, and thinning models