Stand top heigh estimation from “plot top height”. Advantages versus Assman top height

Abstract

Assman top height is a parameter whose measurement or estimation is tiring in the practice and presents some inconveniences from a stadistical point of view which lessens efectiviness. Considering it’s a dasometric parameter widely used in Spain and with important silvicultural implications, we consider it suitable to look for alternatives which solve the faults of the aforesaid top height. In this paper we propose, as an alternative, the criterion used by the English management tables that not only consider with accuracy the top height concept but is more operative from a practical point of view and easy to handle from an stadistical one. In this management table a stand top height is defined as an average value of a variable number of top height trees. A top height tree is defined as the thickest tree height in a 100 m2 plot. Depending on the heterogeneity and extension of the stand more or less plots will be necessary to estimate its top height with a determined accuracy.