Depletion Curve
The diameter structure of a forest stand can give us a substantial amount of information about its history and future development. For instance, typical development in an even-aged stand begins with (a) very little differentiation in diameter structure and relatively high numbers. As the stand develops through time, (b) mortality reduces overall stem density and the average diameter of the stand increases. This trend continues until (c) the stereotypical normal distribution becomes evident.
The typical diameter structure in a ‘balanced’ uneven-aged stand is often thought to be reverse-J (or negative-exponential) in shape.
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