The Gentan Probability, A Model for the Improvement of the Normal Wood Concept and for the Forest Planning

A Gentan probability q(j) is the probability that a newly planted forest will be felled at age-class j. A future change in growing stock and yield of the forests can be predicted by means of this probability. On the other hand a state of the forests is described in terms of an n-vector whose components are the areas of each age-class. This vector, called age-class vector, flows in a n-1 dimensional simplex by means of $n{\times}n$ matrices, whose components are the age-class transition probabilities derived from the Gentan probabilities. In the simplex there exists a fixed point, into which an arbitrary forest age vector sinks. Theoretically this point means a normal state of the forest. To each age-class-transition matrix there corresponds a single normal state; this means that there are infinitely many normal states of the forests.