Growth and yield modeling of loblolly pine in the western Gulf region of the U.S. through age 15

Growth and yield models are essential tools for forestland owners to make informed management decisions. Expected model accuracy when used in application is assumed to be similar to the model residual standard error reported in the publication, as long as the models are used within their intended physiographic and data age range. A validation of three loblolly pine growth and yield models intended for the U.S. Southeast with Western Gulf data revealed the prediction error was larger than the reported residual standard error from the model fitting procedure. The models derived in this research have greatly reduced prediction errors by 11% for dominant height, 30% for the number of trees, 48% for basal area per acre, 49% and 43% for volume and green weight per acre, respectively, compared to the three Southeast loblolly pine growth and yield models evaluated in this study.