Browsing by Author "Väisänen, Erja"

The study describes the dead branch height of Scots Pines from sawing industry point of view. The regional means for dead branch heights are given in a table, while the lower quartile of dead branch height, the median tree and the upper quartile are given in Box Plots. The grouping regions consist of the existing 13 areas of the Finnish Forestry Centres. Two of these regions are divided into two, making the total number of areas to be reviewed 15. The research material consists of the data gained from the 9th National Forest Inventory of Finland (VMI9), carried out 1996-2003, and also in relation to the data from Southern Finland in the previous National Forest Inventory (VMI8). Over all, dead branch heights on the major regions differ from each other, but in these two inventories the highest means and medians of dead branch height are in different areas within the middle part of Southern Finland. In addition to the absolute dead branch height, the review also shows the relative dead branch height (the ratio of dead branch height to the height of the tree), in those previous areas and as well as in swampy areas, in mature and thinning stands, and in different forest site types with mineral soils. In the areas of most common forest site types (VT and MT et corresponding) the dead branch heights are approximately at the same level, but the relative heights are higher on more poor sites. The effect of the age, height and the diameter of the trees were reviewed, too. Regression lines were calculated for the relationship between the stem part with only dead branches and the height of the tree having different diameter. It was not possible to examine the effect of the regeneration or later treatment method on the dead branch height, because there was no data for them concerning saw log-sized trees. It was also decided not to examine the number of stems in those different groups and their distribution into saw logs, although this information would be possible to calculate out of the data.