However, as Wardle points out, the inverse
J distributions shown above can only be recovered after many 400 square
metre plots are lumped together. Different ages of stands show different
structures:
The graph on the left shows structures of young, pole and old stands of silver beech, while on the right structures of mountain beech stands are shown.
The implications are that the steady state assumption of the Landcare model is false, and that mortality estimates may be wrong.