Technical Bulletin No. 0581: Methods for Modeling Unit-Area Impact of Environmental Stresses in Loblolly Pine Stands

The objective of the study reported here was to develop methods for modeling the unit-area impact of environmental stresses, such as air pollution, in loblolly pine stands. This investigation utilized the PTAEDA2 model, which predicts tree growth and mortality as a function of age and site quality plus tree photosynthetic potential and competition from neighbors. Specific tasks involved: (1) examining relationships between foliage amounts and tree and stand growth; (2) evaluating various competition measures for adequacy in predicting tree and stand growth; and (3) verifying model predictions with comparisons to expected trends using data from other studies.