ISSN 1946-7664. MCFNS 2016 AVAILABLE ONLINE AT HTTP://MCFNS.COM Submitted: Oct. 21, 2015 Vol. 8, Issue 1, pp. 25–34 Accepted: Nov. 3, 2015 Mathematical and Computational Published: Mar. 30, 2016 Forestry & Natural-Resource Sciences Last Correction: Apr. 7, 2016 A STAND GROWTH AND YIELD MODEL FOR NORTHERN REFORESTED STANDS OF MEXICO J. N´ avar 1 , P.A. Dominguez-Calleros 2 , F.J. Rodriguez-Flores 3 , L. Liz´ arraga-Mendiola 4 , R. de Hoogh 5 , T.J. Synnott 6 1 Tecnol´ ogico Nacional de M´ exico/Instituto Tecnol´ogico de Ciudad Victoria, Tamps., Mexico. 2 Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Dgo., Mexico. 3 Universidad Politecnica de Durango, Durango, Dgo., Mexico. 4 Universidad Aut´onoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. 5 The International Agricultural Center, Wageningen, Netherlands. 6 Forestry Consultant. Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. Abstract. The aim of this research was to develop a growth and yield model for predictions of the basal area and timber volume of reforested stands in degraded, arid, semi-arid and dry-temperate lands of northern Mexico. In total, 124 forest stands (chronosequences) were sampled for allometric features (basal and breast height diameter, canopy height and canopy cover); data from 75% of the stands were used for model fitting and data from the remaining 25% of the stands were used for the model validation. The potential timber volume and basal area growth were determined for each reforested species. The growth rates of reforested native coniferous species in the states of Durango (P. durangensis Martinez, P. cooperi C.E. Blanco, and P. engelmannii Carri` ere) and Nuevo Leon (P. pseudostrobus Lindl.) were higher than those of pine species not native to south Central Durango (P. arizonica Engelmann), eastern Nuevo Leon (P. cembroides Zucc., P. pinceana Gordon, and P. nelsonii Shaw) and Coahuila (P. halepensis Mill.). Because forest stands are often reforested at high seedling densities, the productivity is higher than that of pre-existing native forests communities. Therefore, this practice is recommended in order to increase timber stocks and the productivity of Mexico’s degraded temperate and semi-arid forests. Keywords: Growth and yield model, Chronosequences, Stand scale, Environmental services. 1 Introduction Forest plantations covered 124 M ha or approximately 3.6% of the estimated global forest area in 1995 (FAO, 2007). However, it is estimated that there will be a need for an additional 130 to 235 M ha of forest plantations by the year 2050 to meet increasing demand for fiber (FAO, 2007). Around 20 M ha of the global forested area is covered by non-industrial reforested plantations aimed at restoring plant cover, halting or reducing land degradation processes and increasing soil productivity (UN, 2000). Reforestation is common practice in northern upland sites in the Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental moun- tain ranges in Mexico. The state governments of Durango, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon, (Mexico) reforested an aver- age of 10,000 ha of land per year in the period of 1993 - 2009 (SEMARNAT, 2010), and the country already has almost 3 M ha of forest plantations of which 90% are non-industrial reforestations. However, extensive areas of Mexico’s northern coniferous forests have low plant densi- ties and require additional silvicultural treatments. The standing timber volume in approximately 4 M ha of land in the states of Durango and Chihuahua is lower than 60 m 3 ha -1 (INEGI, 2001), and planting at low, medium and high density is required to improve stocking. In par- ticular, the eastern slopes of the Western Sierra Madre mountain range require prompt natural regeneration, and stocks are being further reduced by human-related disturbances such as overharvesting, overgrazing, forest Copyright © 2016 Publisher of the Mathematical and Computational Forestry & Natural-Resource Sciences N´ avar et al. (2016) (MCFNS 8(1):25–34). Manuscript Editor: MCFNS Editor