Age and Size Structure of Marginal, Disjunct Populations of Pinus Resinosa

Abstract
(1) Samples of three naturally occurring, disjunct stands of Pinus resinosa Ait. (red pine) located in the general vicinity of Lake Nipigon, Ontario were mapped, cored for age-estimation, and measured for growth in diameter. (2) The two most western populations showed a wide distribution of age, had long life-spans, and high correlations of age with diameter. In contrast, the most eastern population showed an even-aged distribution, short life-span, and a low correlation of age with diameter. Diameter distributions differed from age distributions. (3) The age structures exhibited by the western populations may be characteristic of red pine stands on ecologically marginal sites at the geographic limits of the distribution.