Predictable Overcompensation in Post-Thinning Stand Dynamics of Canadian Forests : A Synthesis
department or school: Science, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)
department or school: Non UBC
department or school: Biology, Department of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
identifier citation: Plants 14 (7): 982 (2025)
creator: Li, Chao
creator: Roitberg, Bernard
creator: Huang, Shongming
creator: Lalonde, Robert G.
issued: 2025-05-09T14:19:23Z
issued: 2025-03-21
description: Most experiments on thinning effects are based upon short-term outcomes, which has led to a common conclusion that stand gross volume will be reduced after various thinning operations. However, contrary results are emerging from more recent long-term thinning experiments. The well-known biological concept of compensatory growth was introduced to reconcile these opposing results. This synthetic article describes a systematic investigation on overcompensation under the conceptual framework of compensatory growth and consists of the following: (1) empirical evidence of overcompensation in forests; (2) a theoretical proof of the possibility of emerging overcompensation using a life-history-theory based analytical tree adaptive growth (TAG) model; and (3) an empirical data-based tree compensatory growth (TreeCG) model that resembles the growth relationships from natural stands. Our results indicate that (1) overcompensation is an expected common phenomenon across different tree species and geographical regions, and (2) overcompensation can be predicted from at least two different mechanisms: optimal allocation of available energy to growth, reproduction, maintenance and reserves, and redistribution of freed resources from dead trees. Therefore, overcompensation is a predictable phenomenon, and forest managers can make SFM (Sustainable Forest Management) decisions based on their specific management goals. Research recommendations are suggested for next steps.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/91076
note: Academic Editor: Byung Bae ParkReceived: 14 February 2025Revised: 15 March 2025Accepted: 17 March 2025Published: 21 March 2025Citation: Li, C.; Roitberg, B.; Huang,S.; Lalonde, R. PredictableOvercompensation in Post-ThinningStand Dynamics of Canadian Forests:A Synthesis. Plants 2025, 14, 982.https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14070982Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This article is an open access articledistributed under the terms andconditions of the Creative CommonsAttribution (CC BY) license(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).ArticlePredictable Overcompensation in Post-Thinning StandDynamics of Canadian Forests: A SynthesisChao Li 1,*, Bernard Roitberg 1,2,*, Shongming Huang 3 and Robert Lalonde 41 Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada2 Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada3 Alberta Forestry and Park, Edmonton, AB T5M 3V9, Canada; shongming.huang@gov.ab.ca4 Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, BC V1V 1V7, Canada;robert.lalonde@ubc.ca* Correspondence: chao.li@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca (C.L.); roitberg@sfu.ca (B.R.)Abstract: Most experiments on thinning effects are based upon short-term outcomes, whichhas led to a common conclusion that stand gross volume will be reduced after variousthinning operations. However, contrary results are emerging from more recent long-termthinning experiments. The well-known biological concept of compensatory growth wasintroduced to reconcile these opposing results. This synthetic article describes a systematicinvestigation on overcompensation under the conceptual framework of compensatorygrowth and consists of the following: (1) empirical evidence of overcompensation in forests;(2) a theoretical proof of the possibility of emerging overcompensation using a life-history-theory based analytical tree adaptive growth (TAG) model; and (3) an empirical data-basedtree compensatory growth (T…
has type: Article
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0448828
language: eng
peer review status: Reviewed
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
publisher DOI: 10.3390/plants14070982
rights: CC BY 4.0
rights URI: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
scholar level: Faculty
scholar level: Researcher
subject: compensatory growth
subject: forest productivity
subject: growth and yield
subject: overcompensation
subject: pre-commercial thinning
subject: TAG
subject: TreeCG
subject: thinning theory
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/91076