Biomass and leaf area in contrasting lodgepole pine forests

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Pearson ◽  
Timothy J. Fahey ◽  
Dennis H. Knight

Bole, branch, foliage, root crown, and lateral root biomass of Pinuscontorta ssp. latifolia (Engelm. ex Wats.) Critchfield forests in southeastern Wyoming were estimated by a combination of aboveground dimension analysis, belowground planar intersect sampling, and soil coring. Total biomass of six stands ≥75 years old ranged from 123 to 180 Mg/ha, and roof:shoot ratios were much higher in two very dense stands than in four more open stands. Average proportions of biomass in boles, branches, foliage, woody roots, and fine roots were 61, 7, 6, 20, and 6%, respectively. Leaf area index ranged from 4.5 to 9.9. Leaf area per unit sapwood area ranged from 0.20 to 0.57 m2/cm2in stands of different densities, ages, and sites. Sapwood area was a more precise predictor of foliage biomass than was basal area for the low to moderate density stands, but was marginally inferior to basal area for two high density stands (>9000 trees/ha).

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nate G. McDowell ◽  
Henry D. Adams ◽  
John D. Bailey ◽  
Thomas E. Kolb

We examined the response of growth efficiency (GE), leaf area index (LAI), and resin flow (RF) to stand density manipulations in ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) forests of northern Arizona, USA. The study used a 40 year stand density experiment including seven replicated basal area (BA) treatments ranging from 7 to 45 m2·ha–1. Results were extended to the larger region using published and unpublished datasets on ponderosa pine RF. GE was quantified using basal area increment (BAI), stemwood production (NPPs), or volume increment (VI) per leaf area (Al) or sapwood area (As). GE per Al was positively correlated with BA, regardless of numerator (BAI/Al, NPPs/Al, and VI/Al; r2 = 0.84, 0.95, and 0.96, respectively). GE per As exhibited variable responses to BA. Understory LAI increased with decreasing BA; however, total (understory plus overstory) LAI was not correlated with BA, GE, or RF. Opposite of the original research on this subject, resin flow was negatively related to GE per Al because Al/As ratios decline with increasing BA. BAI, and to a lesser degree BA, predicted RF better than growth efficiency, suggesting that the simplest measurement with the fewest assumptions (BAI) is also the best approach for predicting RF.


1987 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 124-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Hughes ◽  
Christopher R. Latt ◽  
John C. Tappeiner ◽  
Michael Newton

Abstract To help foresters assess site occupancy of seed-established stands of varnishleaf (Ceanothus velutinus var. laevigatus) deerbrush (Ceanothus integerrimus), and whiteleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida), we developed equations for estimating their aboveground biomass and leaf area. From 9 to 14 pure stands from 2 to 20 years old were selected for each species in southwest Oregon and northern California. Individual stems of Ceanothus species and whole bushes of manzanita were destructively sampled Regression equations for leaf and total biomass of manzanita plants and for stems of Ceanothus sp. showed that these variables were highly correlated with trunk or stem diameter (r² = 0.85 - 0.99). Total biomass, leaf biomass, and leaf area index (LAI) of stands can be estimated accurately from measurements of stem or trunk basal area (r² = 0.87 - 0.99). Stand age (yr) and average stem length (cm) are also reliable estimators (r² = 0.74 - 0.82). It appears that stands of varnishleaf attain a maximum LAI of 5.5 m²/m² by 7 years, whereas the maximum values for deer-brush and manzanita were 2.8 and 3.5, respectively, at about 15 years. Stands of all three species apparently continue to produce net biomass well beyond 16 years of age. West. J. Appl. For. 2(4):124-128, October 1987.


2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 617-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
John-Pascal Berrill ◽  
Kevin L. O’Hara

Projected leaf area estimates were used to predict volume increment and basal area of second-growth coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl.) trees on Jackson Demonstration State Forest, Mendocino County, California. Sample plots were established within even-aged and multiaged mixed-species stands. Redwood tree basal area growth was more strongly related to sapwood area than to tree size and differed significantly between canopy strata and overstory stratum crown classes. Projected leaf area was predicted from sapwood area for each tree, and summarized to the stand level, giving a maximum stand leaf area index (LAI) estimate of 14.9 m2/m2. Redwood tree growing space efficiency (GSE; the ratio of stem volume increment to leaf area) was greatest on average among emergent overstory trees, followed by dominant and codominant overstory trees. There was no evidence of declining overstory tree GSE with increasing leaf area over the range of data collected. A nonlinear model predicted increasing understory tree GSE with increasing leaf area. Models that predict basal area and LAI were developed to permit implementation of GSE models from basic inventory data.


2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1012-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie DesRochers ◽  
Victor J Lieffers

In north-central Alberta, 12 plots (9 m2) were hydraulically excavated in young trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands (5–10 years old) of different sucker density to quantify the effects of sucker density on the parental root system, on the formation of new roots and on the growth of suckers. All roots were collected and divided into live and dead parental roots and new root categories. Size and age of parent roots at the time of suckering were determined. Total biomass ranged from 1 to 18 t/ha of live roots. Living root biomass was proportional to stand density and leaf area index (LAI). Low-density stands had a higher proportion of dead roots. Suckers in plots with more parental root biomass/sucker had greater height growth. Root/shoot ratios ranged from 0.46 to 3.52 but were not correlated with stand densities. Stands with larger basal area of suckers and greater mean parent root diameter produced more biomass of new roots. This research suggests that young sucker-origin aspen stands support a large underground biomass and that high sucker densities and LAI are required to prevent loss of parental root biomass.


2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted R. Feldpausch ◽  
Susan J. Riha ◽  
Erick C. M. Fernandes ◽  
Elisa V. Wandelli

Abstract The area of secondary forest (SF) regenerating from pastures is increasing in the Amazon basin; however, the return of forest and canopy structure following abandonment is not well understood. This study examined the development of leaf area index (LAI), canopy cover, aboveground biomass, stem density, diameter at breast height (DBH), and basal area (BA) by growth form and diameter class for 10 SFs regenerating from abandoned pastures. Biomass accrual was tree dominated, constituting ≥94% of the total measured biomass in all forests abandoned ≥4 to 6 yr. Vine biomass increased with forest age, but its relative contribution to total biomass decreased with time. The forests were dominated by the tree Vismia spp. (>50%). Tree stem density peaked after 6 to 8 yr (10 320 stems per hectare) before declining by 42% in the 12- to 14-yr-old SFs. Small-diameter tree stems in the 1–5-cm size class composed >58% of the total stems for all forests. After 12 to 14 yr, there was no significant leaf area below 150-cm height. Leaf area return (LAI = 3.2 after 12 to 14 yr) relative to biomass was slower than literature-reported recovery following slash-and-burn, where LAI can reach primary forest levels (LAI = 4–6) in 5 yr. After 12 to 14 yr, the colonizing vegetation returned some components of forest structure to values reported for primary forest. Basal area and LAI were 50%–60%, canopy cover and stem density were nearly 100%, and the rapid tree-dominated biomass accrual was 25%–50% of values reported for primary forest. Biomass accumulation may reach an asymptote earlier than expected because of even-aged, monospecific, untiered stand structure. The very slow leaf area accumulation relative to biomass and to reported values for recovery following slash-and-burn indicates a different canopy development pathway that warrants further investigation of causes (e.g., nutrient limitations, competition) and effects on processes such as evapotranspiration and soil water uptake, which would influence long-term recovery rates and have regional implications.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Caselli ◽  
Gabriel Ángel Loguercio ◽  
María Florencia Urretavizcaya ◽  
Guillermo Emilio Defossé

Abstract Leaf area is an important ecophysiological and silvicultural variable for quantifying the potential production of trees, since it can represent growing space occupancy. At the stand level in mixed forests, productivity is conditioned on how growing space is distributed among different components structure, such as species and strata. In complex structures, traditional forest variables (i.e., basal area) do not allow a good representation of the occupied growing space, whereas leaf area appears as a better indicator. Andean cypress and coihue beech are species of the Andean-Patagonian forests that grow in either pure or mixed stands, presenting high productive potential. The aim of this study was to develop, for each species, leaf area prediction functions through allometric relations and to evaluate the relation between leaf area, volume increment and growing space occupancy. For this purpose, we carried out destructive sampling of individuals of both species in mixed Andean cypress-coihue forests. Results for these species show that leaf area can be reliably estimated by using the models developed in this study. These models, based on sapwood area, tree diameter, and/or height measurements, explain at least 90 percent of variation in leaf area. The functions fitted are a fundamental tool to study the distribution of growth and to formulate management guidelines for mixed forests through the control of growing space occupancy using leaf area index.


1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Penner ◽  
Godelieve Deblonde

Relationships between leaf area and sapwood area, sapwood area and basal area, and leaf area and basal area growth are determined for jack pine and red pine. The relationships vary with species and stand origin. Growth efficiency (basal area growth per unit leaf area) is relatively independent of tree size under all but the densest conditions. Observed changes in the leaf area to leaf mass ratio from July to October indicate that allometric relationships vary seasonally. A procedure is outlined for obtaining estimates of stand leaf area index (LAI). These estimates may be used to calibrate instruments that measure LAI and, subsequently, to predict forest productivity. Key words: leaf area index, basal area, growth efficiency, red pine, jack pine, sapwood area


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 2217-2229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B Mainwaring ◽  
Douglas A Maguire

Basal area and height growth were analyzed for individual trees in uneven-aged ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud.) stands in central Oregon. Basal area growth was modeled as a function of other stand and tree variables to address three general objectives: (1) to compare the predictive ability of distance-dependent versus distance-independent stand density variables; (2) to determine the degree to which small trees negatively affect the growth of overstory trees; and (3) to test for differences in growth efficiency between species and between indices of spatial occupancy used to define efficiency (area potentially available, crown projection area, and a surrogate for total tree leaf area). Distance-dependent variables were found to improve growth predictions when added to models with only distance-independent variables, and small trees were found to have a quantifiably negative effect on the growth of larger trees. While volume growth efficiency declined with increasing levels of spatial occupancy for lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine volume growth efficiency was greatest at the highest levels of crown base sapwood area and crown projection area. The behavior in ponderosa pine resulted from the previously recognized correlation between tree height and total leaf area or crown size. The final statistical models distinguished between the positive effect of relative height and the negative effect of increasing tree size.


Author(s):  
Faid Abdul Manan ◽  
Muhammad Buce Saleh ◽  
I Nengah Surati Jaya ◽  
Uus Saepul Mukarom

This paper describes a development of an algorithm for assessing stand productivity by considering the stand variables. Forest stand productivity is one of the crucial information that required to establish the business plan for unit management at the beginning of forest planning activity. The main study objective is to find out the most significant and accurate variable combination to be used for assessing the forest stand productivity, as well as to develop productivity estimation model based on leaf area index. The study found the best stand variable combination in assessing stand productivity were density of poles (X2), volume of commercial tree having diameter at breast height (dbh) 20-40 cm (X16), basal area of commercial tree of dbh >40 cm (X20) with Kappa Accuracy of 90.56% for classifying into 5 stand productivity classes. It was recognized that the examined algorithm provides excellent accuracy of 100% when the stand productivity was classified into only 3 classes. The best model for assessing the stand productivity index with leaf area index is y = 0.6214x - 0.9928 with R2= 0.71, where y is productivity index and x is leaf area index.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document