Tree form and taper variation over time for interior lodgepole pine

Changes in tree form and taper over time, as affected by changes in tree, stand, and site factors for interior lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta var. latifolia Engelm.) were investigated using detailed stem analysis data from interior British Columbia. It was found that tree shape and taper change along the stem at one time and over time with changes in tree and stand factors, particularly the diameter at breast height to total tree height ratio, crown length, and crown ratio, and with predicted quadratic mean diameter at age 50 years, a stand density measure. At young ages, the trees were parabolic in shape from ground to top. However, as they increased in size over time, different portions of the stem took different shapes because of unequal growth in diameter along the stem. Changes in tree shape and taper over time were closely related to the crown size, which is related to stand density.