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

article id 317, category Research article

Erik Eriksson, Tord Johansson. (2006). Effects of rotation period on biomass production and atmospheric CO2 emissions from broadleaved stands growing on abandoned farmland. Silva Fennica vol. 40 no. 4 article id 317. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.317

Keywords: biomass; biofuel; carbon stock; abandoned farmland; atmospheric CO2; broadleaved trees; MAI

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The growth rates and carbon stocks of unthinned young and mature stands of broadleaved trees growing on abandoned farmland were determined to assess whether their management regimes should involve short (15-year) or long (45-year) rotations to maximize biomass production and reductions of CO₂ emissions. Dry mass production and mean annual increment (MAI) were calculated for 28 young stands and 65 mature stands of European aspen (Populus tremula L.), common alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.), grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench.), silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) ranging in latitude from 57° to 63° N in Sweden. The potential for using biomass from the stands to replace coal as a fuel and to store carbon was then evaluated both in short and long rotation scenarios. The results indicate that long rotations are beneficial if the objective is to maximize the average carbon stock in biomass. If, on the other hand, the intention is to optimize reductions in atmospheric CO₂ emissions, rotations should be short for aspen, silver birch and grey alder stands. For downy birch and common alder, the MAI was higher for the mature stands than the young stands, indicating that in these species the mature stands are superior for both storing carbon and replacing fossil fuel. Stands of broadleaved trees grown to produce biofuel on abandoned farmland should be established on fertile soils to promote high MAI. If the MAI is low, the rotation period should be long to maximize the average carbon stock.

Eriksson, SLU, Dept of Bioenergy, P.O. Box 7061, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: ee@nn.se
Johansson, SLU, Dept of Bioenergy, P.O. Box 7061, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: tj@nn.se

article id 649, category Research article

Tord Johansson. (1999). Biomass production of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) growing on abandoned farmland. Silva Fennica vol. 33 no. 4 article id 649. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.649

Keywords: Norway spruce; biomass production; Picea abies; thinning; LAI; abandoned farmland; basic density

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Biomass production of forests has been studied for at least a century. Tree biomass is used in Sweden both as industrial raw material and an energy source. Few studies dealing with biomass yield from Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) growing on farmland are published. Practical recommendations are sparsely. The aim of this study was to construct dry weight equations for Norway spruce growing on farmland. Dry weight equations for fractions of Norway spruce trees were made. Biomass production was estimated in 32 stands of Norway spruce growing on abandoned farmland. The stands were located in Sweden at latitudes ranging from 58° to 64° N, and their total age varied from 17 to 54 years. A modified ‘mean tree technique’ was used to estimate biomass production; i.e. the tallest tree was chosen for sampling. The actual mean total dry weight above stump level for the 32 stands was 116 ton ha–1, with a range of 6.0 to 237.4 ton d.w. ha–1. When previous thinning removals were included, the mean biomass value was 127 ton ha–1 (6.0–262.8). In addition to estimating conventional dry weights of trees and tree components, basic density, specific leaf area, total surface area and leaf area index, among other measures, were estimated. Norway spruce biomass yields on plots subjected to different thinning were compared. The total harvested biomass was 75–120 ton d.w. ha–1 in heavy thinnings from below. Stands were thinned four to five times, with the first thinning at 23–27 years and the last at 51–64 years. The harvested biomass obtained in the first thinning was 18–38 ton d.w. ha–1. Total biomass production was 178–305 ton d.w. ha–1. Stands thinned from above supplied 71–130 ton d.w. ha–1 in total and 17–42 ton d.w. ha–1 in the first thinning. The total biomass supply was 221–304 ton d.w. ha–1. Unthinned stands produced a total of 155–245 ton d.w. ha–1.

Johansson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Management and Products, P.O. Box 7060, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: tord.johansson@sh.slu.se

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