Dynamics of branch population in the canopy of young scots pine stands

Abstract
Life tables were developed for the branch population in the canopy of young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) The death of branches began when a branch cohort was 5-6 years old. Even in widely spaced stands, no branches older than 14 years were found. All the dead branches were pruned off when the age of a branch cohort exceeded 20 years. A model based on the per-capita rate of increase of branches and the carrying capacity of branches in a particular stand gave fairly good estimates of the cumulative number of branches in the canopy. The properties of the proposed model for the branch population are discussed.