Relative density and competitive dynamics of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests in western Italian Alps

摘要

Forest stands with a major Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) component occupy more than 28,000 hectares in the western Italian Alps. The aim of this research is to analyze the intensity of competition for available resources and to describe past and actual dynamics of Scots pine stands. Data from a regional forest inventory provided the basis for the description of maximum achievable competition by means of Reineke's Stand Density Index. At a stand scale, tree data from three 0.5-ha permanent plots were analyzed to study ongoing self-thinning dynamics by means of relative density computation and characterization of live and dead tree size distributions.