Technical

Note

Why Quadratic Mean Diameter?

Robert O. Curtis and David D. Marshall, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625-93rd AvenueSW, Olympia WA 98512-9193.

ABSTRACT: Quadratic meandiameter themeasure average is of treediameter conventionally in used forestry, ratherthanarithmetic mean diameter. historical practicalreasons thisconvention The and for are reviewed. West. Appl.For. 15(3):137-139. J.

Average diameterwidely stand that isa used statistic

appears virtuallyall yieldtables, in simulator outputs, stand summaries, much and inventory data. most To people, "average"is synonymous with the arithmetic mean,definedas

unitsused(0.005454 for B in square feet andQMD in inches; 0.0000785 for B in square metersand QMD in centimeters).

In angle-gauge sampling, canalso calculated it be directly

(Buckingham1969) as:

arithmetic mean Z= (E xi) / n =

QMD[n / Z(1d = s / 2)]

where di arethediameters nsis thenumber "in" the and of
treesin the angle-gauge sample. Pastusage thephrase of "average diameter" oftenbeen has very loose, and unwaryreadersoften take it to meanthe arithmetic mean, whenin factthevaluegivenisthequadratic

where thexiare individual the measurements nisthe and total

number of measurements.

But there are in fact some half dozen different kinds of

averages means= measures centraltendency), (= of each appropriate specificuses.One of theseis the quadratic to mean(KendallandBuckland1967,Iles andWilson 1977),
defined as

quadratic ( mean =

/n

mean. is therefore It goodpractice authors be specific for to (Curtis1968). The quadratic meangivesgreater weightto larger treesandis equal orgreater to thanthearithmetic mean by an amount that depends the varianceaccording the on to
relationship

whichis the square root of the arithmetic meanof squared values.Other generallyrecognized meanssometimes encountered forestry are the geometricmean, harmonic in
mean, median, and mode.

(QMD)2 2 + s =
where t is arithmetic meandiameter s2 is the variance and
of diameters.

Theexpression average of stand diameter conventionally usedin forestryis not the arithmetic meanof diameters, but
the quadraticmean,

In stands smalldiameterandnarrowrangein diamof

eters,the differencesare slight. In standswith large diametersanda widerangeof diameters present with strongly or skewed diameter distributions, the differences between arithmetic mean and quadratic mean diameterscan be substantial (Figure 1). Peoplenot stronglygrounded forestmensuration in are
often unaware of the distinction between arithmetic and

quadratic mean = ( diameter

/n

where i isthediameter breast d at height anindividual of tree,

andn is the total numberof trees.Quadraticmeandiameter

is commonly symbolized QMD, Dq, or Dg. Dg, in which as

the subscriptstandsfor "Grundflliche,"German for basal

area,is widely usedin Europeand is the symbolrecommended theInternational by Unionof Forest Research Organizations(Van Soestet al. 1959).

QMD is oftencalculated theequivalent by equation:

QMD= x/B (k* n) /

whereB is stand basalarea,n is corresponding number of trees,andk is a constant that depends the measurement on
NOTE:Robert Curtis thecorresponding and bereached (360) O. is author can at
753-7669;Fax: (360) 956-2346;E-mail: rcurtis@fs.fed.us.

quadratic means. Whenthis distinction pointed is out,they naturallywonderhow and why sucha strange "average" came beadopted whyit isstillused. to and Afterall,it israrely mentioned introductory in statistics courses. The answeris partly a matter of customand historical precedent, QMD alsohascertainpracticaladvantages but
that still hold true.

Use of the quadratic meanof diameters a very old is practice in forestry, which goes back to 19th century Germanyand possiblyearlier. It hasbeen standard practice in the United Statesfrom the earliest days of North Americanforestry.Most standard U.S. mensuration texts,
WJAF15(3)2000 137

Median, Arithmetic and Quadratic means for a -yr-oklpoplar plantation

10

Median, ArlthmeUc and Quadratic mean

forsome typical inventory data

Median = 3,50 di in.

0
I 2 3 4 DBH class - Inchea 5 6

Figure 1. Median, arithmetic mean, and quadratic mean diametars for stands with (A) small diameters and naarly symmetrical diameter distribution, and (B) larger diameters and somewhat asymmetrical diamater distribution.

starting with Graves (1908), define average standdiameter asthe diametercorresponding thetreeof arithmetic to mean basal area, which is the quadratic mean diameter. Braathe's (1957) summaryof Europeanthinningliterature specifically defines average diameter as the quadratic mean. QMD is commonly used in silviculture research data summariesand reports. Virtually all normal yield tables prepared in the United States in the period from around 1920 through the mid-1960s use quadratic mean
diameters (Schnur 1937, McArdle et al. 1961, Barnes 1962), sometimes referred to in older publications as "average diameter by basal area." This usageof QMD is

wheref= standform factor, which for a given species and stand condition onlya verylimitedrangeof variation has and
can often be treated as constant. N = number of trees / unit area

Bmn= arithmetic mean basal / tree, area and

H = some"average" height. In anexistingstand cannot we directlymeasure eithertotal
stand volume or mean volume/tree, but must estimate these

from measurements their components. is often conveof It

nient describe to stands terms means 'these in of of components:namely,numberof trees,arithmeticmeanbasalarea, and someaverageheight. Peopledo notusuallythink in termsof basalareaof a tree (cross-sectional area at breastheight). It is much easierto visualize treeof 19in. dbhthanoneof 2.0 ft2cross-sectional a area. It is thereforecommonto describestands QMD (a by surrogate arithmeticmean basal area) rather than by for
arithmetic mean basal area. In these terms,

alsocommonin currentstandsimulation programs (Curtis et al. 1981, Hann et al. 1997). Reineke's (1933) SDI is basedon QMD, as are the variousrelative densitymeasuresand standmanagement diagramsderived from the Reineke relationship(Curtis 1982, Long et al. 1988). In the Germany of some 150 or more years ago, there
were a number of so-called mean tree methods in use for

estimatingvolume of wood in forest stands.These also had somelimited usein the early daysof North American forestry(Graves 1908, p. 224ff.). The basicidea, in simplest form, was that the forester would select a tree(s) consideredaverage for the stand, cut it and measureits wood content, and then multiply by the number of trees. The obviousdifficulty wasin selecting averagetree(s), an whosevolumewouldapproximate overallarithmetic mean volume / tree. In regular even-agedstands, diameterof the treeof arithmeticmeanvolumeis generallycloseto thatof the tree of arithmetic mean basal area (which is also the tree of quadraticmean diameter).Thus, a basiswas provided for selectingsampletreesfor analysis. Such procedures nowancient are history. justification But for use of QMD also arisesfrom the generalrelationship between stand volumeandother,directlymeasurable, stand
attributes.

Volumeunit =f* N * [k* (QMD) * H / area 2]

The correctaverageheightin theseequations not the is

arithmetic butLorey's mean, height named a 19th (HL, after

centuryGermanforester).This is a weightedmean,

HL: Zbih/ Zb = Z d/h / Z di i i i 2

where, i isthebasal b area anindividual anddi is the of tree
diameter of an individual tree.

HL is somewhat inconvenientcalculate a fixed to from

areasampleor standtable, althoughwith angle-gauge sampling it can be easily obtainedas the arithmeticmean of heights the counttrees.A commonapproximation the of is height corresponding QMD, as estimated a heightto by diametercurve or equationfor the individual stand.(Stand

In any reasonably regular stand, there is a general relationship

volume unitarea / =f* N * Bmn* H

138 WJAF15(3)2000

average heightis of course differentstatistic a from thetop heightor dominantheightusedfor otherpurposes, though highlycorrelated with thesein unthinned stands.)

Expressions the aboveform are not commonlyused of todayto calculate stand volumes, although theyarevalidand aresometimes used stand in simulation programs. generWe ally applytree volumeequations directlyandsumover all trees,ratherthanfirst calculating thesemeans.But thereis anotherstrong reason usingQMD. This stems for from the relationship

be consciousof the difference between quadratic and arithmeticmeandiameters(which usuallyis not large) and be specific in defining the value used.
Literature Cited

B = k * N * (QMD) 2
Thisis anexact relationship. Therefore, knowledge any of two of thevariables automatically confers knowledge the of third.In contrast, there noequivalent is exact relationship for the arithmeticmean, and conversions usingthe arithmetic meanalsorequire knowledge thevariance. is a greatdeal of It easierto makeconsistent estimates projections two and for variables thanfor three,andtheexact relationship exists that whenQMD isused markedly simplifies construction yield of tablesand standsimulators, standprojections, and some inventorycomputations. This directconvertibility alsosimplifies construction the anduseof stand management diagrams based number on of trees,basalarea, and averagediameter(Long et al. 1988, Gingrich 1967, Ernst and Knapp 1985). Becauseof this convertibility, theycanbe expressed termsof anytwo of in
the three variablesN, basal area, and QMD.

BARNES, 1962.Yield of even-aged G.H. stands western of hemlock. USDA For. Serv.Tech.Bull. No. 1273.52 p. BRAAmE, 1957.Thinnings even-aged P. in stands: summary European A of literature. Facultyof For., Univ. of New Brunswick, Fredericton. p. 92
BUCKINGHAM, F.M. 1969. The harmonic mean in forest mensuration. For.

Chron. 45(2):104-106.

CURTIS, R.O. 1968.Which average diameter? For. 66:570. J. CURTIS, 1982.A simple R.O. indexof stand density Douglas-fir. Sci. for For.
28:92-94.

CURTIS, R.O., G.W. CLENDENEN, D.J. DEMARS. 1981. A new stand AND

simulator coast for Douglas-fir: DFSIM user'sguide.USDA For. Serv. Gen.Tech.Rep.PNW-128.79 p. ERNST, R.L., ANDW.H. KNApp.1985. Forest standdensityand stocking: Concepts, terms, theuseof stocking and guides. USDA For. Serv.Gen. Tech.Rep.WO-44. 8p. GINRICh [GINGRICn], S.F. 1967. Measuringand evaluatingstockingand stand density in upland hardwood forests in the central states.For.
Sci. 13:38-53.

GRAVES, 1908.Forestmensuration. H.S. Wiley, New York. 458 p.

HANN, D.W., A.S. HESTER, C.L. OLSEN. AND 1997. ORGANON user'smanual,

Version6.0. OregonStateUniv., Corvallis.133 p. ILES,K., ANDL.J. WILSON. 1977. A further neglectedmean. Math. Teach.
70:27-28.

The arithmeticmeanis themeasure centraltendency of mostwidely usedin generalstatistics, andis essential a to

KENDALL, M.G., AND W.R. BUCKLAND. A dictionary statistical 1967. of terms. Ed. 2. HafnerPublishing Co., New York. 575 p. LONG, J.N., J.B. McCARTER, ANDS.B. JACK. 1988. A modified density management diagramfor coastalDouglas-fir. West. J. Appl. For.
3(3):88-89.

few procedures (suchas defininga normalprobability distribution).But most procedures common use in in forestrydo not specifically requirethe useof the arithmetic mean. Both the mensurational advantagesmen-

tionedaboveandlong-standing precedent makethe quadraticmeanof diameters preferred the "average diameter" for expressing standattributes. any case,usersshould In

MCARDLE, R.E., W.H. MEYER, AND BRUCE. D. 1961 (rev.). The yield of Douglas-fir in the Pacific Northwest. USDA Tech. Bull. No. 201 (rev.). 72 p. REINEKE, L.H. 1933. Perfectinga stand-density index for even-aged forests. J. Agric. Res.46(7):627-637. SC,NUR, 1937.Yield,stand, volume G.L. and tables even-aged for upland oak forests. USDA For. Serv.Tech.Bull. No. 560. 88 p.
VAN SUEST, P.A., R. SCOBER, F.C. HUMMEL. AND 1959. The standardization

of symbols forest in mensuration. IUFRO. 32 p. [Reprinted 1965asTech.

Bull. 15 of the Maine Agric.Exp. Sta., Orono.

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