Effect of Age on Tapering and Assortment in Araucaria angustifolia Stands

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of age on adjust taper functions and evolution of the assortment of male and female trees of Araucaria angustifolia stands. Sixty trees were sampled in a plantation located in the municipality of Laranjeiras do Sul, Paraná state, Brazil. The fifth degree polynomials were adjusted to the whole data set, and they were stratified into age classes. The evolution of the tapering and assortment of trees was analyzed with age. The results showed a slight advantage in the use of equations adjusted for age classes and a significant improvement in the stem form with increasing age. The female trees presented higher growth (0.9975 m3) than the male trees (0.9384 m3) at 30 years of age. Volumes for the noblest assortments are produced only when the stand reaches the age class of 11 to 15 years.