Modelling the stand structure in different Quercus robur mixed forests using the Weibull function
Modelowanie struktury drzewostanów z dębem szypułkowym Quercus robur w lasach mieszanych przy użyciu rozkładu Weibulla
Sylwan 169 (10):773-789, 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26202/sylwan.2025045Available online: 2025-12-29
Open Access (CC-BY)
dendrometric indices • forest types • Quercus robur • soil moisture • stand structure • tree diameter • Weibull function parameters
Tree diameter distribution models represent useful tools for predicting stand growth under various environmental conditions. In this context, the Weibull probability density function is widely used in forestry due to its flexibility. In this study, this probability density function was applied to analyse the pedunculate oak Quercus robur stand structure in different forest types. The Weibull function demonstrated a high ability to fit well the empirical distribution of oak tree diameters in all studied stands. The analysis revealed either moderate variability or relative homogeneity in the stand structure, depending on the forest type. In the pedunculate oak forests with cherry Prunus avium in the northern region and those with blackthorn P. spinosa in the southern region, developed on dry soils, the parameters b and c of the Weibull function indicated moderate variability in stem diameters. In contrast, the pedunculate oak forests with hornbeam Carpinus betulus, developed on fresh soils, exhibited a more homogeneous structure. To evaluate the relationship between the b and c parameters of the Weibull function and dendrometric indices (AMD, Hmax, QMD, and Dmax), reciprocal−y square root−x and multiplicative regression models were used. The results emphasized the superiority of the multiplicative model in describing the relationships between the c parameter and dendrometric indices, compared to the reciprocal−y square root−x model, which showed modest performance for the b parameter, according to the R² coefficient.
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