Analysis on Crown Growth Characteristics of Sonneratia apetala Plantation

Based on analyses of the crown growth and stem classification of Sonneratia apetala plantation on the Leizhou Peninsula, the growth prediction models for crown length and crown volume were built. The results showed that the difference in crown width among different stem classes was reduced as the stand density was increased. On the whole, the difference in crown length among the stem classes increased along with the increase in stand density, while the change in crown length ratio was reduced. The average crown volume of the dominant trees, mean trees and the overtopped trees in plantations with different densities was 58500 m3, 32597 m3 and 19214 m3 respectively, indicating that the difference in the average crown volume of different stem classes tended to decrease as the stand density increased. It was concluded that S. apetala was characterized with lower branches, the height below the lowest branches over 60% of the S. apetala trees was within 1m.