For more information on forest growth and yield model research at UW-Madison, please contact Tom Gower.
Forest growth and yield modeling research at UW-Madison is supported by NASA's Regional Earth Science Applications Center Program.
|
|
 |
Project Overview
Long term forestry management is a challenging process. Unlike many agricultural crops, which mature in a single year, trees can be harvested anywhere from 5 or 10 years to over one hundred years, depending on the tree species and the intended use of the timber. Such a long life cycle makes research on the effects of forest management a slow process. |
 |
To aid in the development of forestry management techniques, researchers at the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Madison are developing a biophysical process model to simulate the growth and yield of forest types common to the Upper Midwest. The model uses equations to express the physiological processes involved in tree photosynthesis, growth, senescence, and death. A schematic of the carbon budget in the model is shown above.
The model will be used to investigate management techniques such as short vs. long term rotations and natural forests vs. plantations, the possible effects of climate change on timber yield, and the effects of forest management on the environment.
|
|
