A Testing Simulation with FORTOON on Long-term Productivity of Chinese Fir Plantations

Based on the published data from Huitong County, Hunan Province, the forest management model, FORTOON,was applied to analogize the effects of different management measures on the growth of Chinese fir plantations at successive rotations. The results of comparative analysis indicated that the biomass and site quality decreased gradually with rotations. Oppressed stem thinning and fertilization improved the biomass growth and nutrients in forest floor. Otherw ise, litter raking reduced the stand biomass obviously. The compliance of modeling results with the field investigation, demonstrated the validity of the model in predicting the effects of some silvicultural measurements on long-term forest productivity and soil fertility. Further improvements, such as consideration of soil erosion, more friendly file format, are necessary for better and easier application.