Forest stand dynamics is the process of stand structural changes through time, which is a function
of species, site quality, climate, stand age, and management treatments. Assessing competition
behaviors is important to predict stand growth and yield and to prescribe appropriate silvicultural
treatments. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook), an important commercial species in
southern China, was imported to Taiwan in the early 20th century. Since stand productivity has
considerably declined with successive short rotations, it was suggested that the length of rotations
be extended. However, the potential growth and yield of older Chinese fir plantations have not
been explicitly explored in the forestry literature. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the stand
dynamics of Chinese fir plantations established over 60 yrs . Data were collected from 30 Chinese
fir stands in central Taiwan and from inventory records published in the past few decades, which
provide a sound basis for analyzing long-term stand carrying capacity and competition behaviors.
Results indicated that competition behaviors were similar between Taiwan and southern China, but
tree mortality levels in Taiwan were lower than those in southern China for a given tree size. The
difference may have been due to higher winter temperatures in Taiwan. At age 18 , the maximum
stand basal area of 56.52 m2 ha-1 estimated for Chinese fir is close to that for loblolly pine at the
same age planted in the southeastern US. However, stand basal area among stands varied. In addition,
we suggest that the impacts of unpredictable natural disturbances, such as typhoons, on stand
dynamics and stand structure need to be assessed. Results of this study can provide insightful information
about long-term stand dynamics for Chinese fir and useful guidance for forest resource
managers in designing forest management practices.