Variability in growth of trees in uneven-aged stands displays the need for optimizing diversified harvest diameters

This study presents economically optimal management of uneven-aged mixed mountain forests that takes into account tree growth variability. We divided 9846 silver fir (Abies alba), beech (Fagus sylvatica), and spruce (Picea abies) trees measured on 898 forest inventory plots in the Snežnik and Leskova dolina management units (4905 ha, Dinaric mountains, Slovenia) into three growth classes (slow-, medium-, and fast-growing trees) to simulate optimal forest management over a period of 100 years with respect to changing tree growth, stand density, diameter distribution, and tree species composition. We developed a density-dependent and stage and growth-structured matrix transition model which—simultaneous to the long-term stand dynamics projection—scheduled optimal harvesting to maximize the net present value using a nonlinear approach. The ecology of tree species was considered by using tree species-specific and stand-density and diameter-dependent logistic functions for ingrowth, transition, and mortality. The model projected a shift in tree species composition from fir-dominated to beech-dominated forests within 100 years. A change from harvesting slow- and fast-growing trees as if they all had medium growth to growth-sensitive harvesting increased the net revenue and maintained the uneven-aged stand structure. Optimal harvest diameters varied among growth classes, time periods, and tree species according to the economic maturity of individual trees and ranged from 12 (pre-commercial thinning) to 72 cm (target diameter). The simulation highlights the potential of improved bio-economic models for increasing yield from uneven-aged forests and scheduling optimal management regimes with multiple objectives.