Karol Bronisz, Mike Strub, Chris Cieszewski, Szymon Bijak, Agnieszka Bronisz, Robert Tomusiak, Rafał Wojtan, Michał Zasada. (2016). Empirical equations for estimating aboveground biomass of Betula pendula growing on former farmland in central Poland. Silva Fennica vol. 50 no. 4 article id 1559. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1559

Keywords: silver birch; simplified and expanded models; seemingly unrelated regression

Highlights: We developed equations for aboveground biomass components of young silver birch stands on post-agricultural lands in central Poland for single tree level; Simplified equations were based exclusively on diameter at ground level or breast height, while expanded ones were based on the appropriate diameter and tree height; For large trees, diameter at breast height is a more appropriate explanatory variable than diameter at ground level; Biomass estimations based on models from neighboring countries were consistent with our results.

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We determined empirical models for estimating total aboveground as well as stem, branches, and foliage dry biomass of young (age up to 16 years) silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) growing on the post-agricultural lands. Two sets of allometric models for trees with a height below or above 1.3 m (small and large trees respectively) were developed. Simplified models were elaborated based exclusively on appropriate tree diameter (diameter at ground level for small trees, diameter at breast height for large trees), while expanded models also included tree height. Total aboveground biomass was estimated as the sum of biomass of all tree components. To assure additivity of the developed equations, the seemingly unrelated regression approach for the final model fitting was used. Expanded models in both tree groups were characterized by a better fit to the data (R²for total aboveground biomass for small and large trees equaled 0.8768 and 0.9752, respectively). Diameter at breast height appeared to be a better predictor than diameter at ground level – simplified models had better fit for large trees (R² for total aboveground biomass equals 0.9611) than for small ones (R² = 0.7516). The developed equations provide biomass predictions consistent with available Latvian, Estonian, Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian models for silver birch.

Bronisz, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland E-mail: karol.bronisz@wl.sggw.pl
Strub, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30605, USA E-mail: strub@mcfns.com
Cieszewski, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30605, USA E-mail: thebiomat@gmail.com
Bijak, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland E-mail: szymon.bijak@wl.sggw.pl
Bronisz, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland E-mail: agnieszka.bronisz@wl.sggw.pl
Tomusiak, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland E-mail: robert.tomusiak@wl.sggw.pl
Wojtan, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland E-mail: rafal.wojtan@wl.sggw.pl
Zasada, Laboratory of Dendrometry and Forest Productivity, Faculty of Forestry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland E-mail: michal.zasada@wl.sggw.pl

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