Table 5 Parameter estimation (standard errors) of the lowest AIC selected models for diameter distribution of sapling (Eq. 4) (.P < 0.1; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.001; ***P < 0.0001)

b₀

(Intercept)

2.47834 (0.29136) ***

− 0.49736 (0.18090) **

0.83057 (0.24527) **

0.78488 (0.21931) ***

2.66615 (0.24294) ***

1.29716 (0.09418) ***

b₁

Plantation

− 1.01922 (0.19815) ***

1.99083 (0.20709) ***

0.49632 (0.23419) *

0.52732 (0.17664) **

b₂

TrT_Elite

0.25759 (0.23451)

− 0.25262 (0.09767) *

TrT_1/3

0.64611 (0.26000) *

− 0.18988 (0.11269) .

TrT_BF

2.81784 (0.95977) **

− 0.34505 (0.16858) *

b₃

α_Gsp

0.09412 (0.00720) ***

0.06011 (0.01178) ***

0.01717 (0.00989) .

b₄

Nmer_tot

0.00037 (0.00015) *

b₅

Nmer_Gsp

0.00012 (0.00007) .

0.00034 (0.00013) *

− 0.00485 (0.00146) **

0.00347 (0.00077) ***

b₆

NSap_WS

− 0.00180 (0.00040) ***

0.02627 (0.00387) ***

0.00028 (0.00073).

− 0.00103 (0.00057) .

b₇

NSap_BF

− 0.00043 (0.00016) **

− 0.00032 (0.00016) .

− 0.00039 (0.00021) .

b₈

NSap_HW

− 0.00078 (0.00036) *

− 0.00097 (0.00041) *

b₉

Dvar_HW

− 0.00001 (0.00000) .

0.00001 (0.00000) *

b₁₀

Dsd_WS

− 0.00982 (0.00528) .

b₁₁

Dmean_HW

− 0.00113 (0.00049) *

b₁₂

Plantation: α_WS

− 0.05057 (0.01351) ***

b₁₃

Plantation: NSap_WS

− 0.02593 (0.00387) ***

b₁₄

TrT_Elite: NSap_WS

0.00057 (0.00100)

TrT_1/3: NSap_WS

− 0.00147 (0.00107)

TrT_BF: NSap_WS

− 0.00694 (0.00273) *

b₁₅

NSap_WS: NSap_BF

− 0.00001 (0.00000) ***

b₁₆

NSap_HW: α_HW

0.00045 (0.00016) **