Stocking is a quantitative measure of the area occupied by trees, usually measured in terms of well-spaced trees or basal area per hectare, relative to an optimum or desired level of density.[1] It is also used as a measure of the growth potential of a site that may be affected by vegetation in the area along with other nearby trees. Stocking can be shown as a ratio of the current stand density to the stand density of a maximally-occupied site.[2] Stocking measures account for three things: the cover type and species mixture in the stand, the basal area per acre, and the number of trees per acre.[3]
Stocking allows for comparing stands that may have diverse ecology.[4] Stocking is a major part of forest management, both in commercial applications and for restoration or preservation. A desirable level of stocking is often considered that which maximizes timber production, or other management objectives.
- ^ "Glossary of Forestry Terms in British Columbia" (PDF). Ministry of Forests and Range (Canada). March 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ May, Dennis M. (1990). "Stocking, Forest Type, and Stand Size Class - The Southern Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit's Calculation of Three Important Stand Descriptors". New Orleans, LA. doi:10.2737/so-gtr-77. hdl:2027/umn.31951d029870578.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Jeff., Martin, A. (1986). Wisconsin woodlands : estimating stocking conditions in your timber stand. University of Wisconsin--Extension. OCLC 18792558.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ O'Hara, K. L. (2004). "Stocking control concepts in uneven-aged silviculture". Forestry. 77 (2): 131–143. doi:10.1093/forestry/77.2.131. Retrieved 4 December 2022.