Spatial patterns of overstory trees in old-growth Abies amabilis forests were modeled with a soft core inhibition spatial point process model.  Inhibition strength was represented as a function of tree size and decayed linearly with distance.  Model parameterizations were found such that patterns produced by the model were not different from the observed pattern of overstory trees in two ~300 year old stands.  Interestingly, the pattern of overstory trees in a ~600 year old stand could not be reproduced.

Spatial point process models are collections of rules for assigning locations to points on a plane.  Similarly, thinning prescriptions are rules for designating trees to be left following thinning, and, either implicitly or explicitly, where to leave them.  Restoration thinning prescriptions may be improved by formulating them as approximations of parameterized spatial point process models of overstory trees in natural old-growth stands.