Forest models defined by field measurements: I. The design of a northeastern forest simulator

Introduces a new spatially explicit model of forest dynamics, constructed from submodels that predict an individual tree's growth, survival, dispersal, and recruitment, and submodels that predict the local availability of resources. Competition is entirely mechanistic; plants interfere with one another only by depleting resources. Data were collected for the dominant tree species in the Great Mountain forest (Norfolk, Connecticut). The calibrated population dynamic model predicts the structure and dynamics of natural forests. -from Authors