158 JAVAID AHSAN AND M.I.R. KHAN 



Hazara Murree 







Ten-year 





Ten-year 



Age 



Mean 



diameter 



Mean 



diameter 



(years) 



diameter 



growth 



diameter 



growth 





(inches) 



7.3 



(inches) 1 

 3.5 



(inches) 



(inches) 1 



20 





30 



10.8 



3.5 



-- 



-- 



40 



14.3 



3.2 



-- 



-- 



50 



17.5 



3.2 



-- 



-- 



60 



20.7 



3.2 



13.4 



4.1 



70 



23.9 



3.1 



17.5 



3.5 



80 



27.0 



3.2 



21.0 



3.5 



90 



30.2 



3.2 



24.5 



2.9 



100 



33.4 



2.9 



27.4 



2.2 



110 



36.3 



2.5 



29.6 



2.2 



120 



38.8 



-- 



31.8 



-- 



1 For 



following 



10-year period. 







Although the sample taken by these British foresters represented 

 only a fraction of the entire range and was too small to yield much 

 reliable information, it does indicate the rapid early growth of P. 

 wallichiana and the continuation of a good growth rate through age 80 

 to 100 years. 



Using graphic methods, yield tables of blue pine were compiled by 

 Champion, Suri, and Mahendru (1929). These tables give a fairly good 

 idea of growth and yield of this species in the Murree area, but perhaps 

 have little application to other parts of blue pine range. Three quality 

 classes were recognized, as given below: 



Site quality 



Age 



Mean height 



No. of 



(class) 



(years) 

 90 



(feet) 



plots 



I 



120-140 



7 



II 



90 



100-120 



14 



III 



90 



80-100 



3 



From this information it can be inferred that the quality of stands 

 of this species in areas of the mesic habitat is mostly I and II of 

 Champion's classification. 



According to Champion's yield tables, the mean annual increment of 

 235 and 178 cubic feet per acre is maximum at ages 80 and 100 for 

 quality class I and quality class II, respectively. The total yield 

 including that from intermediate thinnings is estimated to be 18,000 

 cubic feet per acre at the age of 90 years. Thus the species is very 

 fast growing (Fig. 5) . The trees selected in a seed production area in 

 Kagan (Hazara) , when compared with the general stands of blue pine in 

 height and diamter, show that given favorable environment the species 

 has a great potential for fast growth. 



