Ecology of Tropical Forests. Investment criteria are applied to decisions on e.g. rotation, choice of species, spacing, pruning, thinning, management systems etc. Factors that influence these decisions are studied. Lecture notes available at the 'Centraal Magazijn'. It focuses on biological processes behind growth, on the relationship between tree growth and growing conditions, and on mechanistic relationships, both at the tree and the forest level.
Specific attention is paid to models and modelling of growth and development.
The course Forest growth and yield is partly a self-study course. The subject will be covered by a number of lectures, a literature study, and a number of practical exercises, consisting of modelling activities with help of the computer. It aims at increasing the student's knowledge on methods and techniques applied in silvicultural and forest ecological research. During three afternoons, some of the methods are practiced. In the lectures, an overview is given of the several states and rates to be measured, as well as of the role of spatial and temporal resolution, sampling, and models.