A taper function for Pseudotsuga menziesii plantations in Spain

Abstract

Five stem taper models belonging to three different taper function categories were fitted to data corresponding to 282 Pseudotsuga menziesii trees. The trees were selected in the area surrounding 61 research plots installed in Galicia, Asturias and the Basque Country, northern Spain. The models were simultaneously fitted to observed values of diameter outside bark and inside bark. A third-order continuous-time autoregressive error structure was used to account for autocorrelation. Selection of the best model was based on both numerical (goodness-of-fit statistics) and graphical analysis (plots of residuals against position along the stem and against tree size). The three-segmented taper model finally selected has the advantage of being compatible with both a merchantable and a total stem volume equation.