A hypothesis about the interaction of tree dominance and stand production through stand development

The development of forests over time involves changes in rates of growth of trees and stands, and changes in the competition and dominance between trees plays a large role in the overall development of stands. A hypothesis proposes that changes in the growth of trees and stands result from regular changes in dominance and the efficiency of resource use by dominant and non-dominant trees. Dominance is low prior to canopy closure, and efficiency of resource use is high for all trees. Increasing dominance near canopy closure reduces the efficiency of resource use by non-dominant trees, lowering overall stand growth. Later in stand development, the efficiency of resource use also declines for the largest trees, reducing the level of dominance in the stand. The dominance part of this hypothesis was examined for 150 years of stand development in two mixed-species stands in the Coast Range of Oregon. A quantitative index of dominance was minimal prior to the peak in stand growth near age 25–30 years, and then increased sharply as stand productivity declined. Dominance then declined after age 100 years as the growth rate of the 300 largest trees/ha began to decline. The dominance portion of the hypothesis was supported, and further testing may be useful.