Objective To achieve fast, accurate calculation of individual tree and stand factors in forestry, a general R program package called ForestStatTool was developed. Specific examples were provided to demonstrate its application in statistical calculation of individual tree and stand factors in forestry.
Method In the R environment, 12 practical functions were developed, covering 7 categories including duplicated labels processing, duplicated coordinates processing, plot segmentation, spatial structure index calculation, competition index calculation, biodiversity index calculation, and stand factor calculation. Using data from a 0.06 ha circular sample plot of Platycladus orientalis pure forest in Beijing’s Shisanling Forest Farm and a 1 ha square big sample plot of spruce-fir conifer-broadleaf mixed forest in the Jingouling Forest Farm, Wangqing Forestry Bureau, Jilin Province of northeastern China, the main functions and usage of ForestStatTool package were demonstrated.
Result Through the analysis of various sample plot data using ForestStatTool package, spatial structure, competition index, biodiversity and other indicators were successfully calculated. The results indicated that the package can effectively identify tree spatial distribution characteristics, quantify tree competition pressure, and reveal stand structure and diversity features. This tool is able to quickly handle the statistical analysis of large and complex sample plots, making it suitable for various forestry applications.
Conclusion ForestStatTool package can enable convenient, fast, accurate data checking and preprocessing, and complete the calculation of multiple individual tree and stand factors in forestry. It can be applied in the fields such as forest management, silviculture, and forest ecology.
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