Yield prediction models and comparative growth rates for six eucalypt species

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Abstract
Stand stem volume yield prediction models are presented for six eucalypt species Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell., E. obliqua L'Her., E. delegatensis R. Baker. E. pilularis Smith, E. grandis Hill ex Maiden and E. diversicolor F. Muell. The data set used was collected over many years by eight of the major forestry agencies of Australia. It included data only from fully stocked, monospecific stands which had received no major natural or unnatural disturbance throughout their life-times. The bulk of the data was collected from regrowth forest, but some data from plantation forest were also included. The data did not sample formally or fully the entire area of natural occurrence of the six species. These data limitations must be borne in mind when applying the models. A site-index equation is developed for each species and these are then used in developing the stand stem volume yield prediction models which were based on the commonly used Schumacher model. The models are then used to compare growth rates of these species. It is shown that E. diversicolor has the most rapid early growth rate in stem volume and E. pilularis has the slowest. The other species are intermediate in growth rate between these two and do not differ greatly between each other.