Antonín Martiník, Robert Knott, Jan Krejza, Jakub Černý. (2018). Biomass production of Betula pendula stands regenerated in the region of allochthonous Picea abies dieback. Silva Fennica vol. 52 no. 5 article id 9985. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.9985

Keywords: silver birch; stem biomass; branch biomass; rotation period

Highlights: Biomass equations for individual components of above-ground wood biomass estimation are presented for stands at the age of 4, 8, 17 and 22 years; Peak of the mean annual increment was found at the age from 15 to 20 years and reached over 5.0 t ha^–1 y^–1 of dry biomass; The share of the stem to the total biomass increased with stand age.

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The paper deals with production of above-ground biomass of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) stands in the Czech Republic. One-year biomass dynamics was studied within chronosequence of birch stands at the age of 4–5, 8–9, 17–18 and 22–23 years. With the exception of the youngest stand, which was established by seeding, all experimental birch stands were regenerated naturally after the allochthonous spruce stands. Above-ground biomass (AB) was calculated from plot inventory data and biomass equations were parameterized from destructive sampling of biomass component of sampled trees. Results reveal that the peak of the mean annual increment (MAI_ABtotal) of birch stands can be expected at the age from 15 to 20 years. Additionally, the stand age, the value of basal area (BA) should be considered as a predictor of stand productivity. If the value of BA varied from 25 to 35 m² ha^–1, the MAI of the birch stands reached the range from 5.0 to 6.5 t of dry biomass per ha y^–1 at the age ranging between 15 and 25 years. The stem/branch proportion increased with stand age, the stem relative proportion ranging from 75 to 90% of total above-ground biomass. According to the results of this study, birch stand biomass production and utilization is one of the approaches in terms of forest recovery management in large disturbed areas. Although, no silvicultural treatments were occurred in all analysed stands, the pre-commercial thinning method could increase stand productivity and stability as well.

Martiník, Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5906-8830 E-mail: martinik@mendelu.cz
Knott, Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic E-mail: robert.knott@mendelu.cz
Krejza, Global Change Research Institute CAS, v.v.i., Bělidla 4a, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic E-mail: krejza.j@czechglobe.cz
Černý, The Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Research Station at Opočno, Na Olivě 550, 517 73 Opočno, Czech Republic E-mail: cerny@vulhmop.cz

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