Tree Growth Rate Table: Annual Percentage Growth
University Outreach Publication
Trees grow in diameter every year. From the farthest reach of the woody roots to the tips of the twigs, trees expand in girth. This annual growth increment allows trees to respond to changing environmental conditions and react to injuries. The ability of the tree to resist strong winds, ice storms, and major losses of woody materials, while remaining alive and erect, is a direct consequence of annual diameter growth.
The amount of woody increment produced each year is dependent upon the proper functioning and productivity of the leaves. All the leaves together make up the living crown of a tree. The food and growth substances ultimately generated by photosynthesis and metabolic processes in the leaves will directly determine the amount of materials available for generating annual increments. The annual increment produced throughout the tree is a result of crown production -- crown production is a direct result of annual increment transport efficiency and volume. The growth increment also mechanically supports the crown against dynamic forces of gravity, wind, precipitation and the tree’s own size, shape and mass.
(FOR96-49) December 1996
Kim D. Coder
1996
University of Georgia School of Forest Resources
Athens, GA
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Appraisal and Valuation, Forest Management, Growth, Inventory (forest), Inventory (tree), Measurements
National
Growth increments, Growth rate
