Structural stocking guides: a new look at an old friend

A parameter recovery-based model is developed that allows the incorporation of diameter distribution information directly into stocking guides. The method is completely general in applicability across different guides and forest types and could be adapted to other systems such as density management diagrams. It relies on a simple measure of diameter distribution shape, the basal area larger than quadratic mean stand diameter, to estimate the parameters of the unknown distribution. This latter quantity is shown to have high correlation with stocking guide variables in northeastern forest types. A primary objective of this new type of guide is that its use should require a minimal amount of new information from the user and that the underlying model should be as simple as possible.