Szymon Bijak, Michał Zasada, Agnieszka Bronisz, Karol Bronisz, Maciej Czajkowski, Łukasz Ludwisiak, Robert Tomusiak, Rafał Wojtan. (2013). Estimating coarse roots biomass in young silver birch stands on post-agricultural lands in central Poland. Silva Fennica vol. 47 no. 2 article id 963. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.963

Keywords: abandoned farmland; belowground biomass; allometric equations; root-to-shoot ratio

Highlights: Age and size of the tree are the most important factors that influence the amount of belowground biomass; Allocation of the biomass to the coarse roots also depends on age and size of the tree

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Study analyses coarse (d>2 mm of diameter) roots biomass dynamics in young succession stands of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) growing on abandoned farmlands in central Poland. Research material based on 181 sample trees, which were gathered in 20 pure silver birch stands in 5 locations. The age of the trees varied from 1 to 16 years. Coarse roots biomass of the investigated trees ranged from 0.7 to 4305.5 g/tree (422.6 g/tree on average) showing great variability (coefficient of variation equals 185%). A clear dependence of belowground biomass on the age and size of a tree was observed. Root-to-shoot ratio values vary from 0.1 to 1.0 with evidence of a tendency to decrease with increasing age, diameter at the breast height and height of analysed trees. An allometric equation was elaborated for the estimation of belowground biomass based on height or diameter at breast height of young silver birches. The suitability of this formula should be considered for the estimation of biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration by young successional silver birch stands growing on abandoned agricultural lands.

Bijak, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland E-mail: szymon.bijak@wl.sggw.pl
Zasada, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-767 Warszawa, Poland E-mail: michal.zasada@wl.sggw.pl
Bronisz, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Warszawa, Poland E-mail: agnieszka.bronisz@wl.sggw.pl
Bronisz, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Warszawa, Poland E-mail: karol.bronisz@wl.sggw.pl
Czajkowski, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Warszawa, Poland E-mail: maciej.czajkowski@wl.sggw.pl
Ludwisiak, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Warszawa, Poland E-mail: lukasz.ludwisiak@wl.sggw.pl
Tomusiak, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Warszawa, Poland E-mail: robert.tomusiak@wl.sggw.pl
Wojtan, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Faculty of Forestry, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Warszawa, Poland E-mail: rafal.wojtan@wl.sggw.pl

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