%0 Research note
%T Multilevel modelling of height growth in young Norway spruce plantations in southern Finland
%A Saksa, Timo
%A Heiskanen, Juha
%A Miina, Jari
%A Tuomola, Jaakko
%A Kolström, Taneli
%D 2005
%J Silva Fennica
%V 39
%N 1
%R doi:10.14214/sf.403
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/403
%X Height development of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)  transplants was studied on 22 sites prepared by disc trenching or  mounding. At the age of 4–9 years the plantations were surveyed using a  multistage sampling design. For every planted spruce on a plot, the past  annual height increments were measured as far into the past as  possible. Multilevel mixed linear modelling was used to analyse the  variation in growth at different levels (year, stand, cluster, plot,  tree) and the effects of climatic and site characteristics on height  growth. The within-plantation variation in height growth was higher on  mounded sites than on disc-trenched sites. The mean temperature and the  precipitation sum of the summer months affected height growth  positively. Soil characteristics measured from undisturbed soil did not  explain the height growth of seedlings on mounded sites, whereas on  disc-trenched sites, the depth of the organic layer and the soil  temperature had a positive effect and the depth of the eluvial horizon a  negative effect. The modelling approach used proved to be a useful  method for examining the sources of variation in development of young  plantations.