Site index curves for the golden oak species (Quercus alnifolia)

Abstract

The golden oak (Quercus alnifolia) is the most ecologically important endemic species of Cyprus; therefore, the development of site index curves for classification of golden oak trees to site qualities will be useful for the rational management and monitoring of natural habitats of the golden oak. The objective of this work was to develop site index curves for the golden oak species. From areas of natural spread of golden oak in Cyprus, sixty dominant trees were selected randomly and cut; for each sampled tree a stem analysis was conducted. Forty-two linear and non-linear regression models were tested for fit-to-height/age data; and from these, the most suitable was chosen for the development of a guide curve. Afterwards, a set of anamorphic site indices was created based on this curve. The selected height/age model was: . At the base age of 40 years, the selected model estimated a height of 4 m (SI4). Using the selected model as the guide curve for the development of anamorphic site index curves, we drew two more curves: SI3 (at the age of 40 years the estimated tree height is 3 m) and SI5 (at the age of 40 years the estimated tree height is 5 m).

Key words: Cyprus, golden oak, guide curve method, site quality.