Stocking is a quantitative measure of the area occupied by trees, usually measured in terms of well-spaced trees or basal area per hectare, relative to an optimum or desired level of density. It is also known as a measure of the growth potential of a site that may be affected by vegetation in the area along with other nearby trees. Stocking can be shown as a ratio of the current stand density to the stand density of a maximally-occupied site. Stocking measures account for three things: the cover type and species mixture in the stand, the basal area per acre, and the number of trees per acre. Stocking allows for the comparison of stands that may have diverse ecology. Stocking is a major part of forest management and how to control the growth of trees in certain areas. They have developed more approaches that account for different ages of stands and grow areas. When managing forests, foresters want the most amount of growth and volume in different stands and areas across the world. A desirable level of stocking is often considered that which maximizes timber production, or other management objectives. Stand density is not the same as stocking. See stand density index for the difference. Stocking charts Once the stands have been measured, they are marked as either being overstocked, 50% stocked, or understocked. When an area is overstocked it means that it has too many trees in the given area, and it will be affecting the growth of other trees that are around it. When an area is understocked, it means that the stand site is not up to its full potential in tree growth. More trees should be planted there if they want to maximize the tree growth in the stand site. Stocking charts, or stocking guides, are helpful in determining whether a stand is overstocked, 50% stocked, or understocked. When you have two stands that have similar basal areas but different amounts of trees in the stand you can compare to see if there is a difference. In these charts there are 2 reference lines, A and B, these lines show where an area is being overstocked, understocked, or fully stocked. The A-line represents the limit for an uncut forest. If it was over the A-line, then it would be considered overstocked with trees. The B-line represents the best number of trees to be grown in each