Aboveground and belowground biomass and sapwood area allometric equations for six boreal tree species of northern Manitoba

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 1441-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Bond-Lamberty ◽  
C Wang ◽  
S T Gower
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Stem Diameter ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Sapwood Area ◽  
Coarse Root ◽  
Biomass Equations

Allometric equations were developed relating aboveground biomass, coarse root biomass, and sapwood area to stem diameter at 17 study sites located in the boreal forests near Thompson, Man. The six species studied were trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) Koch.), and willow (Salix spp.). Stands ranged in age from 4 to 130 years and were categorized as well or poorly drained. Stem diameter ranged from 0.1 to 23.7 cm. Stem diameter was measured at both the soil surface (D0) and breast height (DBH). The relationship between biomass and diameter, fitted on a log–log scale, changed significantly at ~3 cm DBH, suggesting that allometry differed between saplings and older trees. To eliminate this nonlinearity, a model of form log10 Y = a + b(log10 D) + c(AGE) + d(log10 D × AGE) was used, where D is stem diameter, AGE is stand age, and the cross product is the interaction between diameter and age. Most aboveground biomass equations (N = 326) exhibited excellent fits (R2 > 0.95). Coarse root biomass equations (N = 205) exhibited good fits (R2 > 0.90). Both D0 and DBH were excellent (R2 > 0.95) sapwood area predictors (N = 413). Faster growing species had significantly higher ratios of sapwood area to stem area than did slower growing species. Nonlinear aspects of some of the pooled biomass equations serve as a caution against extrapolating allometric equations beyond the original sample diameter range.

scholarly journals Effects of Stand Age on Biomass Allocation and Allometry of Quercus Acutissima in the Central Loess Plateau of China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Yang ◽  
Wenyan Xue ◽  
Shichuan Yu ◽  
Jianyun Zhou ◽  
Wenhui Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Allocation ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Tree Biomass ◽  
Quercus Acutissima ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Biomass Equations ◽  
Total Tree

We studied the effects of stand age on allocation and equation fitting of aboveground and below-ground biomass in four Quercus acutissima stands (14, 31, 46, and 63 years old) in the Central Loess Plateau of China. The stem wood, stem bark, branch, foliage, and belowground biomass of each of the 20 destructive harvesting trees were quantified. The mean total biomass of each tree was 28.8, 106.8, 380.6, and 603.4 kg/tree in the 14-, 31-, 46-, and 63-year-old stands, respectively. Aboveground biomass accounted for 72.25%, 73.05%, 76.14%, and 80.37% of the total tree biomass in the 14-, 31-, 46-, and 63-year-old stands, respectively, and stem wood was the major component of tree biomass. The proportion of stem (with bark) biomass to total tree biomass increased with stand age while the proportions of branch, foliage, and belowground biomass to total tree biomass decreased with stand age. The ratio of belowground biomass to aboveground biomass decreased from 0.39 in the 14-year-old stand to 0.37, 0.31, and 0.24 in the 31-, 46-, and 63-year-old stands, respectively. Age-specific biomass equations in each stand were developed for stem wood, stem bark, aboveground, and total tree. The inclusion of tree height as a second variable improved the total tree biomass equation fitting for middle-aged (31-year-old and 46-year-old) stands but not young (14 years old) and mature (63 years old) stands. Moreover, biomass conversion and expansion factors (BCEFs) varied with stand age, showing a decreasing trend with increasing stand age. These results indicate that stand age alters the biomass allocation of Q. acutissima and results in age-specific allometric biomass equations and BCEFs. Therefore, to obtain accurate estimates of Q. acutissima forest biomass and carbon stocks, age-specific changes need to be considered.

Estimation of coarse root biomass and nutrient content for sugar maple, jack pine, and black spruce using stem diameter at breast height

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rock Ouimet ◽  
Claude Camiré ◽  
Marcel Brazeau ◽  
Jean-David Moore
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Root Diameter ◽  
Stem Diameter ◽  
Diameter Class ◽  
Coarse Root ◽  
Breast Height

Estimates of belowground biomass and mineralomass are fundamental to understanding carbon and element cycling in forest ecosystems. At two sites, we measured coarse root (diameter ≥2 mm) biomass by diameter class and their mineralomass for sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.), black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), and jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.) trees to relate them to stem diameter at breast height (DBH). All regressions describing coarse root biomass and nutrient content as a function of stem DBH were highly significant (r2 ≥ 0.89, P < 0.001). Root mineral element (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) concentrations varied with tree species and root diameter class. Sugar maple roots had higher N, P, and S concentrations than the other two tree species. Black spruce had higher root Ca concentrations. Element concentrations increased consistently with the reduction of root diameter for the three studied species. We also found that the horizontal root extent of sugar maple was related to tree DBH. In conjunction with other studies, the relationship suggests that this tree species could tolerate a 10%–20% root loss but not losses ≥28%–34%; otherwise, sugar maple health and vigour would be compromised in the short term.

Amount of downed woody debris and its prediction using stand characteristics in boreal and mixedwood forests of Ontario, Canada

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 2189-2197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Ter-Mikaelian ◽  
Stephen J. Colombo ◽  
Jiaxin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Constant Factor ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
White Birch ◽  
Permanent Sample Plots ◽  
Mixedwood Forests ◽  
Downed Woody Debris

We analyzed data on downed woody debris (DWD) from 435 permanent sample plots in boreal and mixedwood forests of Ontario seeking empirical relationships to predict DWD quantity from stand attributes. In each permanent sample plot, data were collected along three transects, including diameter, tree species, and degree of decomposition of DWD pieces with diameter greater than or equal to 7.5 cm at the point of intersection with the transect. Amounts of DWD in sample plots ranged from 0.7 to 402.7 m3·ha–1 and from 0.1 to 103.4 t·ha–1. Mean DWD values were 65.4 m3·ha–1 and 15.9 t·ha–1 in softwood- and 61.9 m3·ha–1 and 16.5 t·ha–1 in hardwood-dominated plots. Our analysis revealed no relationship between DWD and stand age, site index, or stocking for plots dominated by black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), eastern white pine ( Pinus strobus L.), sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.), and red oak ( Quercus rubra L.) and weak relationships for plots dominated by jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.), red pine ( Pinus resinosa Ait.), trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.), and white birch ( Betula papyrifera Marsh.). We submit that DWD in Ontario’s forests should be treated as a constant factor until the relationship between the amount of DWD and present stand condition is better understood and discuss considerations for future studies on DWD.

Estimating coarse root biomass of balsam fir

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 991-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.B. Lavigne ◽  
M.J. Krasowski
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Root Diameter ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Coarse Root ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Diameter Classes

Root systems of 31 balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) trees were excavated at five sites in central New Brunswick. Sites ranged from 10 to >80 years in stand age; most had been thinned at least once, and densities ranged from 750 to 44 000 trees·ha–1. The relationship between diameter at breast height and coarse root biomass in the present investigation was similar to one reported for balsam fir in northern New Brunswick but differed from two other published biomass equations. Coarse root biomass per hectare ranged from 3 to 30 Mg·ha–1 among studied sites. Coarse root biomass in the smaller root diameter classes was similar at all sites, but biomass in diameter classes >50 mm increased with stand age. Precommercial thinning added 3 Mg coarse root biomass·ha–1 to the detrital pool. The ratio of coarse root biomass to stem biomass averaged 0.36 (±0.02 SE). These results show that there is more belowground biomass in balsam fir ecosystems than would be expected from the generic ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass often applied to coniferous ecosystems, pointing to a need for using ratios that are more specific.

scholarly journals Aboveground Biomass Allocation and Additive Allometric Models for Natural Larix gmelinii in the Western Daxing’anling Mountains, Northeastern China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengwang Meng ◽  
Quanquan Jia ◽  
Qijing Liu ◽  
Guang Zhou ◽  
Huimin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Allocation ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Northeastern China ◽  
Seemingly Unrelated Regression ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Larix Gmelinii ◽  
Leaf Biomass ◽  
Estimation Errors ◽  
Biomass Equations

Accurate estimates of tree component and aboveground biomass strongly depend on robust and precise allometric equations. However, site-specific and suitable biomass equations are currently scarce for natural Larix gmelinii forests in the western Daxing’anling Mountains, northeastern China. This study aimed to evaluate the biomass allocation patterns within tree components and develop additive allometric biomass equations for species of L. gmelinii. A total of 58 trees were destructively sampled and measured for wood (inside bark), bark, branch and leaf biomass. For each component, we assessed the share of biomass allocated to different components by computing its ratio; we also tested two allometric equations based on diameter at breast height (dbh) alone, and dbh fitted with height (h) as independent variables. Seemingly unrelated regression methodology was used to fit an additive system of biomass allometric equations. We performed an independent dataset to evaluate the predictive ability of the best model system. The results revealed that wood biomass accounted for approximately 60% of the aboveground biomass. Wood and branch biomass ratios increased with increasing dbh, while a reverse trend was observed for bark and leaf biomass ratios. All models showed good fitting results with Adj.R2 = 0.958–0.995. Tree dbh provided the lowest estimation errors in the regressions associated with branches and leaves, while dbh2 × h generated the most precise models for stems (wood and bark). We conclude that these allometric equations will accurately predict biomass for Larix trees in the western Daxing’anling Mountains.

scholarly journals Challenges in estimating forest biomass: use of allometric equations for three boreal tree species

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 1613-1622
Author(s):  
Dingliang Xing ◽  
J.A. Colin Bergeron ◽  
Kevin A. Solarik ◽  
Bradley Tomm ◽  
S. Ellen Macdonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Shoot Ratio ◽  
Root To Shoot Ratio

Regionally fitted allometric equations for individual trees and root-to-shoot ratio values are normally used to estimate local aboveground and belowground forest biomass, respectively. However, uncertainties arising from such applications are poorly understood. We developed equations for both aboveground and belowground biomass using destructive sampling for three dominant upland boreal tree species in northwestern Alberta, Canada. Compared with our equations, the diameter-based national equations derived for use across Canada underestimated aboveground biomass for Picea glauca (Moench) Voss but gave reasonable estimates for Populus balsamifera L. and Populus tremuloides Michx. The national equations based on both tree diameter and height overestimated aboveground biomass for the Populus species but underestimated it for Picea glauca in our study area. The approach of root-to-shoot ratio proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) overestimated belowground biomass by 16%–41%, depending on forest cover type, in comparison with our values estimated directly on site, with the greatest bias in deciduous-dominated stands. When the general allometric equations for aboveground biomass and the root-to-shoot ratio for belowground biomass were combined to estimate stand biomass, overestimation could be as high as 18% in our study area. The results of our study support the development of improved regional allometric equations for more accurate local-scale estimations. Incorporating intraspecific variation of important traits such as tree taper may be especially helpful.

Quantifying the coarse-root biomass of intensively managed loblolly pine plantations

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley T Miller ◽  
H Lee Allen ◽  
Chris A Maier
Keyword(s):  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Coarse Roots ◽  
Coarse Root ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Intensively Managed

Most of the carbon accumulation during a forest rotation is in plant biomass and the forest floor. Most of the belowground biomass in older loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) forests is in coarse roots, and coarse roots persist longer after harvest than aboveground biomass and fine roots. The main objective was to assess the carbon accumulation in coarse roots of a loblolly pine plantation that was subjected to different levels of management intensity. Total belowground biomass ranged from 56.4 to 62.4 Mt·ha–1 and was not affected by treatment. Vegetation control and disking increased pine taproot biomass and decreased hardwood taproot biomass. Pines between tree coarse roots were unaffected by treatment, but hardwoods between tree coarse roots were significantly reduced by vegetation control. Necromass was substantially lower than between-tree biomass, indicating that decomposition of coarse-root biomass from the previous stand was rapid for between-tree coarse roots. Total aboveground biomass was increased by vegetation control, with the lowest production on the least intensively managed plots (180.2 Mt·ha–1) and the highest production on the most intensively managed plots (247.3 Mt·ha–1). Coarse-root biomass ranged from 19% to 24% of total biomass. Silvicultural practices increasing aboveground pine productivity did not increase total coarse-root biomass carbon because of the difference in root/shoot allocation between pine and hardwood species.

scholarly journals Scaling Approach for Estimating Stand Sapwood Area from Leaf Area Index in Five Boreal Species

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quiñonez-Piñón ◽  
Valeo
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Sapwood Area ◽  
Boreal Species ◽  
Vegetation Heterogeneity

This paper presents a scaling approach for estimating sapwood area at the stand level using knowledge obtained for individual trees of five boreal species: Populus tremuloides (Michx.), Pinus contorta (Doug. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.), Pinus banksiana (Lamb.), Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP, and Picea glauca (Moench) Voss. Previously developed allometric models for sapwood depth and diameter at breast height for individual tree species were used to build stand level sapwood area estimates as well as stand level leaf area estimates, in pure and mixed vascular vegetation stands. A stand’s vegetation heterogeneity is considered in the scaling approach by proposing regression models for each species. The new combined scaling approach drew strong linear correlations at the stand scale between sapwood area and leaf area using observations taken in mixed stands of Southern Alberta, Canada. This last outcome suggests a good linear relationship between stand sapwood area and stand leaf area. The accuracy of the results was tested by observing each regression model’s adequacy and by estimating the error propagated through the whole scaling process.

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