Alternative definitions of growth and removals and implications for forest sustainability

Summary Alternative defi nitions for growth and removals from a forest being monitored over time are discussed. It is shown that the defi nitions that are used in practice may not be what one would expect and estimates can vary substantially under alternative defi nitions. This can result in conclusions about forest sustainability that may be misleading. Alternative defi nitions are applied to selected states using US Department of Agriculture Forest Service inventory data. Standard errors of growth over removals ratios are used to indicate potential sustainability problems for selected forest types.