Growth and crown efficiency of height repressed lodgepole pine; are suppressed trees more efficient?

Leaf area, crown projection area and growth over the last 5 years were measured to assess growth efficiency (GE) and crown efficiency (CE) of dominant (D), codominant (CD) and suppressed (SP) trees growing in height-repressed (P sites) and normally developing (M sites) lodgepole pine stands. Leaf area index (LAI), hydraulic characteristics, and needle nutrient concentrations were also measured. Volume growth of P site trees between 1994 and 1999 was 46% that of M site trees. Volume growth was closely associated with both hydraulic supply capacity (Q*) and leaf area. Height repression was not associated with lower GE, but P site trees had CE that was 24.5% lower than M site trees. Average GE of D and CD trees was 28% lower than that of SP trees, while mean CE for the D trees was 46% greater than that of CD, and 80% greater than for SP trees. Between M and P sites, canopy LAI and Q* per unit leaf area did not differ. Needle nitrogen (N) concentrations of M site trees were 7.6% greater than for P site trees. SP tree needles had the highest concentration of N and phosphorus. The nutrient advantage enjoyed by SP trees presumably allowed them to maintain higher GE for a given Q*/A_l. The fastest growing trees were the large D and CD trees from M sites. As LAI did not differ between sites, height repression on P sites may be a result of total leaf area being distributed among too many small trees.