Assignment

On
Tree growth cycle and growth phases

COURSE NO: FOR 601

QUANTITIVE SILVICULTURE

Department of SAF

Submitted to: Dr. D. R. BHARDWAJ

Submitted by:Aditi Sharma (F-18-31-D)

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 CONTENTS

1. TREE GROWTH.

2. STAGES OF TREE GROWTH.

3. ANNUAL SHOOT GROWTH AND HEIGHT INCREASE.

4. SEASONAL CHANGES OF THE ANNUAL HEIGHT INCREMENT.

5. GROWTH CYCLE.

6. FACTORS EFFECTING TREE GROWTH.

7. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TREE PARAMETERS AND AGE.

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 TREE GROWTH

Growth is the biological phenomenon of increase in size with time. Growth involves the
formation, differentiation and expansion of new cells, tissues or organs. Increment is the
quantitative increase in size in a specified time interval due to growth. The terms growth and
increment are not interchangeable.

STAGES OF TREE GROWTH

1. Seedling - Seedling is a plant grown from seed till it attains a height of about one meter,
i.e. before it reaches the sapling stage.

2. Sapling - Sapling is defined as ‘a young tree from the time when it reaches about one
metre (3 feet) in height till the lower branches begin to fall. A sapling is characterized by
absence of dead bark and its vigorous height growth’.

3. Pole - Pole is defined as ‘a young tree from the time when lower branches begin to fall
off to the time when the rate of height growth begins to slow down and crown expansion
becomes marked’.

4. Tree - Tree is ‘the stage of growth beyond the pole stage when the rate of height growth
begins to slow down and crown expansion becomes marked’.

Basic to measuring trees and stands is an understanding of how individual trees develop in
different situations. The relationships of tree size to age and increment to age are important to
the forester particularly in predicting future growth. There are inter- and intra-seasonal trends
to be considered.

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 In any one growing season, different parts of a tree start growing at different times.
Different species may also react differently.
 Generally, height growth precedes any diameter growth or needle flush.

 The progression of terminal bud extension (main stem and branches) is basipetally, i.e.
extension growth starts at the top of the tree and progressively moves downwards towards
the base.

 The amount of height growth in any one season depends on hereditary factors, immediate
past environmental conditions and present environmental conditions.

 Diameter growth also proceeds basipetally and is much more related to current foliage and
present environmental conditions.

 Hence, Growth means increase in size and the formation of new tissues. It is a vital
process, which brings about permanent change in any plant or its part with respect to its size,
form, weight and volume. It is a permanent and irreversible increase in the number and size
of a cell, organ or whole organism. Within the species, plants have certain inherent controls
on the pattern of growth. Three stages of growth in plants are easily recognized as

I) Formative period,
II) Grand period of growth i.e. period of rapid increase in size and
III) A period of slow growth i.e., period of maturity.

Growth of tree is largely determined by its primary growth which reflects the environment
of the time it grows. Primary growth refers to growth from a bud, root tip, or other apical
meristem. Secondary growth is growth from a cambium and is responsible for the thickening
of tree stems, branches, and roots. Growth in plants is complex phenomenon associated with

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several physiological processes. It results in the formation of cell substances and new cells
and tissues. It does not take place throughout the whole length of the plant body, but is
localized in meristematic regions.

Annual Shoot Growth and Height Increase:

Every year, the buds which were formed during the proceeding vegetative period develop
visibly into annual shoots. Depending on the bud arrangements, these shoots proceed as from
the terminal bud in conifers or in the broad-leaved species Ash and Maple as also generally
Oak and Common beech. In the majority of native broad leaved trees (Elm, Lime, Birch,
Aspen, Hazel, Willow) the tip of the leading shoot perishes for some inexplicable reason and
a lateral bud then develops into the annual shoot.

Seasonal changes of the annual height increment in tree species:

Species Beginning & end of annual shoot Lenghth of growing period

growth

Pine Beginning of April to end of June Appr. 80 days

Norway End of May to middle of July Appr. 50 days

spruce

Larch (Euro.) Middle of May to middle of August Appr. 80 days

Early growth Rest period Secondary growth

Common Early may Rest period End June-mid –July=appr.

beech earlyJune= pppr. 30 20 days
days Apprx. 20
days

Oak Mid.May end of Appr 40 days

may =appr. 20days

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Secondary or lammas shoots occasionally occur also coniferous trees, e.g. in Norway spruce
and douglas fir where they are undesirable owing to the danger from frost to such shoots
before they have completely matured during the autumn.

From phenological observations it is obvious that the start of annual shoot growth differs
with species, climate at the site and in the year of observation and with provenances (seed
origins).The length of a fully grown annual shoot which has lignified remains unchanged, so
that we are subsequently able to determine the length of each particular annual shoot. Tree
shape is largely determined by its primary growth which reflects the environment of the time
it grows. Primary growth refers to growth from a bud, or root tip.

Figure. Annual shoots Growth rings & Schematic tree and buds showing various tree
architecture terms. A) Parts of trees B) Detailed parts of bud. Sustained growth bud is shown,
without inner bud scales. C) Performed bud , showing inner bud scales.

Secondary growth is growth from a cambium and is responsible for the thickening of tree
stems, branches and roots. Each year the tree’s terminal (top of the main stem) and its lateral
branches increase in length by adding new primary growth. The year’s growth from the
terminal is referred to as a leader, or terminal shoot. Apical meristem and active shoot
expansion primordia are small precursors of stems or leaves and are formed by the apical
dome both before and during active elongation. Width of annual rings and diameter curve.

Annual ring (growth ring)

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Concentric circles visible in cross-sections of woody stems or trunks. Each year the
cambium layer produces a layer of xylem, the vessels of which are large and thin-walled in
the spring and smaller and thick-walled in the summer, creating a contrast between the rings.
Trees can live for hundreds—and sometimes even thousands—of years. Over
this long lifetime, a tree can experience a variety of environmental conditions:
wet years, dry years, cold years, hot years, early frosts, forest fires and more.

Growth Cycles
The growth and development in the life span of a tree, three growth cycles usually occur:

I. The development from seed to the one-year old plant (ovular cycle).
II. The cycle which is determined by the roots and the first leaves.
III. The cycle of the basic growth through the main phases of the life of a tree.
In most cases, the first two cycles are distinct in comparison to the third. In trees, there is
also usually no clear distinction between the second and the third cycles.

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Factors affecting growth

The following factors generally have important effects on growth in most plantations:

 Initial spacing and treatment

 Silvicultural treatment

 Artificial thinning and pruning

 Site conditions (including nutrition)

 Climatic conditions

Important factors in natural forests include:

 Regeneration density and treatment

 Spatial distribution

 Silvicultural treatment

 Artificial thinning

 Site conditions

 Climatic conditions

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Height growth

The rhythm of annual height growth is characterized by the occurrence of maximum

increment--the "grand period of increment". After a slow start, the rate of growth increases to
a maximum and then falls off again. Thus, the seasonal pattern of growth closely parallels the
pattern of growth as a function of age.

Factors Influencing Height Growth

1. Species characteristics. Light-demanding species reach maximum of current height

increment earlier than shade-tolerant species. The curve both climbs and falls more steeply.
2. Effect of site such that on better sites culmination of increment occurs earlier than on
poor sites.

3. Competition during early years suppresses height increment and postpones age of
maximum growth rate sometimes by 50 to 100 years. A striking acceleration of height growth
can be induced by heavy thinning before the culmination of increment.

Diameter growth

The diameter growth of trees of critical importance to the foresters , for this is what makes
the saw log. The value of cubic foot of bole increases sharply with increase in in diameter of
log and tree up to a certain point.

 Growth of trees in diameter is greatly affected by the density of stand, whereas height
growth is hardly affected at all unless the stand is either very open or number of stems are
extraordinary large.
 Stands with wider spacing or stands previously thinned have larger average diameters
than similar stands with closer spacing or comparable unthinned stands.

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..

Every year a tree forms a new layer of wood; we see it in the form of an annual ring. We
usually measure this increment at DBH. If we compare diameter growth curves and diameter
increment curves for different tree species on the same site, we find that they are analogous
to those of height growth. That is, culmination of diameter growth of light-demanding
species occurs early in comparison with shade-tolerant species. On the other hand,
performance of light-demanding trees drops rapidly and sharply during later years.

DBH and basal area (BA) are used to characterize growth but the area increment of the cross
section of a tree does not depend on the annual ring width alone (i.e. the diameter increment)
but also very much on the diameter of the cross section of stem where it accrues. The larger
the initial diameter, the larger the sectional area increment for a given annual ring width (or
for a given diameter increment).

As a result, the basal area increment at breast height, or any chosen stem height for that
matter, culminates considerably later than the corresponding diameter increment. Even after
diameter increment has started to decrease, BA increment may continue to increase for
awhile, because the narrowing annual ring is added to an increasing cross area. The
available growing space has an important influence on diameter and BA increment of
individual trees. With increasing growing space, BA increment of individual trees increases

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 until the maximum utilizable growing space is reached. When this limit has been reached, a
yet more liberal provision of light cannot produce further increment. BA decreases with
height. This is most pronounced in older trees because younger ones have wide rings, and
more pronounced on poor than on good sites.

Volume Increment

 Volume increment is an expression of a tree’s vigor Height increment culminates earlier,

BA increment later. The BA increment is added to a continually lengthening and thickening
tree body so that culmination of volume increment is reached even later than that of BA
increment. For instance, volume increment is more rapid in shade-tolerant than intolerant
species. Open position in the stand speeds up volume increment; overhead or dense shade
from neighboring trees suppresses it. Thus, in multi-storied stands with wide age
differences, growth often makes irregular progress .
 Current annual increment (CAI) - It is the increment over a period of one year at any
stage in the tree's history. The CAI varies from year to year being affected by seasonal
conditions and treatment. For this reason, it is common practice to express the increment as
a mean over a period of years, termed the periodic mean annual increment (PMAI or PAI).
It is important to maintain the distinction between CAI and PAI. The PAI is a more realistic
indicator of the capacity of a tree (or stand) of a certain age or size to grow.
 Mean annual increment (MAI) –It is the mean annual increment over the whole period
from origin to a specific age.

 Relationship between CAI & MAI

The interrelationships of the CAI and MAI curves of a tree (more particularly of a stand),
their relative shape, and the position of their point of intersection, are of particular interest
to management.

Predictions of Tree growth

 The principal reason for analyzing the past growth of trees is to establish a pattern for
predicting future growth. From the standpoint of practical forest management, growth
prediction is usually approached from a stand basis rather than in terms of individual trees.
 However, because tree growth is the integral component of stand growth, the trends of tree
size increases are appropriately considered first.

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  Because the rate of tree growth in diameter, height, form, or volume is heavily dependent
on relative age, prediction of future yields from past growth should he limited to short
periods of time—usually not more than 5 to 10 years.

 As a rule, growth predictions are most reliable during the midlife of a tree.

i. Size/Age relationship
The general size /age relationship is represented by the cumulative growth curve (CGC)
which biological organism is sigmoid.

The pattern of the CGC is characteristic for the life span of an organism. This is often
true also for the pattern of growth within a growing season.
ii. Diameter/age relationship

 The diameter of main interest is that at breast height.

 The main section of the general relationship varies from a linear to concave curve
depending on species, environment and silvicultural treatment.
 If the relationship is linear, future diameter growth can be predicted with some certainty.
 If relationship is concave, the equivalent basal area (G) /age graph may be linear or
nearly so - this enables future diameter growth to be estimated from projection of G.

iii. Height/age relationship

Example of height against age relationship for Pinus radiata in the

ACT.
This relationship usually reflects clearly the inherent vigor of the
tree and the environmental conditions under which it is growing.
For this reason, the height/age relationship is a common basis of
site classification. There is no standard height/age relationship for
trees because of the influence of both internal and external factors on height growth but the
basic pattern is sigmoidal. Once again, projection from past growth to likely future growth is
facilitated if the main section of the CGC is linear.

iv. Volume/age relationship

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 This relationship, though basically sigmoidal, is likely to be somewhat erratic because of
the effects of climatic changes and silvicultural treatment. The CGC usually shows a long
early period of curvilinearity, a linear trend becoming evident much later than is found
with the diameter/age and height/age relationships

Growth in Volume
• Growth in volume is a function of height, diameter and the form of tree
• Therefore greater the height and diameter and lesser the taper, the greater the volume of
tree
v. Increment/age relationship

This relationship is represented by the true growth curve (TGC) or increment curve. The
natural increment phases (juvenile, mature and senescent) are of extreme importance to the
science of forest yield. In light demanding species, culmination of the increment curve occurs
early in life. In contrast, the rise of the curve in shade and semi-shade tolerant species is not so
steep, the culmination point occurs later and the fall is more moderate. The two conventional
expressions of increment are current annual increment (CAI) and mean annual increment (MAI).

Factors affecting increment

The increment is determined by the pattern and rate of growth of the tree and varies with:

 Species
 Internal conditions (genetic and physiological)

 External conditions (climatic, edaphic, biotic)

Yield

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As increment accumulates on a tree, it eventually becomes useful for some purpose, so we have
a yield. Note that the purpose or product required must be specified when yield calculations are
made.

To gain insight into growth of stands and trees, and how silvicultural practices can influence
them, requires familiarity with growth patterns and the resulting shape of individual trees. Trees
make their annual growth by extension of shoots and roots and by thickening of stems and roots.
We characterize these two increment processes by two partial parameters: height and diameter
increment.

References

Assmann, B. 1970. The principals of forest yield study. Pergamon press: oxford, new
York. 504p.

Carron, L.T. 1968. "An Outline of Forest Mensuration", ANU Press, Chp. 16. Ferguson,
I.S. and Leech, J.W. 1976.

Davis L. S., K. N. Johnson, P. S. Bettnger and T. E. Howard 1954. Forest Management .

McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. 131p.

Prodan Michail. 1968. Forest biometrics. New York: Oxford Press. 447p.

Prakash. R. 2006. Forest management.International book distributor ,Dehradun

http://online.anu.edu.au/Forestry/mensuration/DENSITY.HTM
http://online.anu.edu.au/Forestry/mensuration/T_GROWTH.HTM

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