Twenty-four years of ponderosa pine growth in relation to canopy leaf area and understory competition.

Data generally supported the hypothesis that Pinus ponderosa stand growth is directly correlated with the development of the forest canopy, eg growth is proportional to canopy leaf area. At very low leaf area indices, wood production per unit of leaf area was more efficient, particularly in stands where the understory vegetation had been removed. Once the leaf area index exceeded 2.0, however, efficiency of wood production remained stable and was comparable for stands with and without understory vegetation. -from Authors