Predicting the Growth of Different Dimensions of Mulberry (Melia azedarach) and Chinaberry (Morus alba) in Urban Landscapes

Determination of growth rate and planting space of trees in urban spaces is needed for the planting design programs and land scape management. To determine the growth rate of two tree species, Chinaberry (Melia azedarach) and Mulberry (Morus alba), data was collected on different dimensions of these trees including, tree height, tree crown height and tree crown diameter at various ages at Pardis campus of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during their growth. Regression analysis of these dimensions as a dependent variable and age as an independent variable produced different models that can be used for estimating the growth of the measured dimensions of these two species. The results showed that the highest regression coefficient among the models was linear, polynomial and exponential function, but logarithmic types were selected as the most acceptable model for estimating the growth of measured dimensions in the two tree species of Chinaberry (tree height with r2=0.87, crown height with r2=0.67, crown diameter with r2=0.67) and Mulberry (total height with r2=0.60, crown height with r2=0.40, crown diameter with r2=0.65). Also, in both species, the most increase in growth rate of measured dimensions for the 15 years old trees was found in crown diameter.