Modeling crown width and canopy cover in Quercus suber L. stands: from forest management equations to 3PG-compatible formulations

Research paper

Key message

This study provides new equations to estimate crown width and percent crown cover of cork oak (Quercus suber L.), helping forest managers understand forest structure and making informed decisions on understory management and thinning operations. These equations can either be used as standalone solutions or help adapt existing tools, such as the Physiological Processes Predicting Growth (3PG) model, thereby supporting better decisions to protect Mediterranean woodlands facing environmental changes.

Keywords
Stand structure; Competition effects; Montado; 3PG model; Cork oak

Publication
Jorge, C., Amaral Paulo, J. & Tomé, M. Modeling crown width and canopy cover in Quercus suber L. stands: from forest management equations to 3PG-compatible formulations. Annals of Forest Science 83, 15 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-026-01331-z

Data availability
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available in the ZENODO repository at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17425134.

Handling editor
Valentine Lafond