Stand structure of a juvenile Paulownia Shan Tong plantation grown in the temperate dry climate zone in Hungary - A case study

In this paper, empirical relationships between diameter at breast height (DBH), crown diameter (CD), and stem number per hectare (N) were improved in a Paulownia Shan Tong plantation. Various functions of these variables were defined, focusing on growing space (Gs) and stem number per hectare. The linear crown index between CD and DBH seems to be particularly important in predicting stem number per hectare. Based on an analysis of the relationships, a CD-DBH (R2 = 0.7254) and a DBH-N graphic model (R2 = 0.7302) can be applied widely in plantation forestry. Under suitable site conditions, the investigated Paulownia hybrid can provide a higher increment in DBH than most of poplar hybrids at a certain age. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between the Gs based on CD and DBH. These types of investigations are of fundamental importance in terms of the growing technology of tree plantations.