MAI stands for Mean Annual Increment. What does MAI indicate in forestry growth measures?

MAI stands for Mean Annual Increment. What does MAI indicate in forestry growth measures?

• A. Maximum annual increase
• B. Mean Annual Increment
• C. Monetary annual input
• D. Maturity annual increment

Answer: (B)

Mean Annual Increment is the average amount the stand has grown per year since it was established. In forestry growth measures, you compute it by taking the total volume (or biomass) at a given age and dividing by that age. This tells you how productive the stand has been on average over its life and is useful for comparing stands or deciding rotation length. It’s a smoothing measure, unlike the maximum annual growth in a single year, which can vary year to year. For example, if a stand has 200 cubic meters of wood at age 40, the MAI is 200 divided by 40, or 5 cubic meters per year.

Mean Annual Increment is the average amount the stand has grown per year since it was established. In forestry growth measures, you compute it by taking the total volume (or biomass) at a given age and dividing by that age. This tells you how productive the stand has been on average over its life and is useful for comparing stands or deciding rotation length. It’s a smoothing measure, unlike the maximum annual growth in a single year, which can vary year to year. For example, if a stand has 200 cubic meters of wood at age 40, the MAI is 200 divided by 40, or 5 cubic meters per year.