A New Function for Modelling Diameter Frequency Distribution in the Tropical Rain Forest of Xishuangbanna,Southwest of China

Permanent plots in the montane tropical rain forests in Xishuangbanna, southwest China, were established, and different empirical models, based on observation data of these plots in 1992, were built to model diameter frequency distributions. The focus of this study is on predicting accuracy of stem number in the larger diameter classes, which is much more important than that of the smaller trees, from the view of forest management, and must be adequately considered in the modelling and estimate. There exist 3 traditional ways of modelling the diameter frequency distribution: the negative exponential function model, limiting line function model, and Weibull distribution model. In this study, a new model, named as the logarithmic J-shape function, together with the others, was experimented and was found as a more suitable model for modelling works in the tropical forests.