engleski

Forest Biomass and sequestered carbon estimation according to main tree components on the forest stand scale

Background and purpose: The estimation of forest woody biomass has a significant role in forestry due to several reasons. One of the reasons is that good woody biomass estimation is important for planning of forest woody assortments production, for main commercial roundwood assortments and for assortments like "waste wood" or "recovered wood" as a potential for electricity (heat) generation (firewood, wood bricks, wood pellets etc.). Economic and political meaning of woody biomass estimation is important in order to know how large forest biomass resources are in the country regarding stating these facts to international institutions or treaties as needed. The estimation is also important for strategic planning of using renewable energy sources from woody biomass. On the other hand, estimation of the carbon content in forest woody biomass has importance in global climate mitigation policy and processes (Kyoto- and post-Kyoto period). The purpose of this paper is to present applied methodology for forest woody biomass estimation and its carbon content, according to main tree components, on the forest stand scale. Material and methods: For the research area the two representative Croatian forest communities/stands were selected. The one represents flooded lowland peduncled oak forest of Pokupski basin, and the other represents mountain beech-fir forest of the Gorski Kotar region. Emphasis in the paper is on the methodology which is figured out for purpose of the research. Methods applied in this research are consisting of: a) dendrometrical measurements on selected forest stands (research sites), b) sampling of main tree components and sample analyses in laboratory, and c) calculation of forest woody biomass and its carbon content according to main tree components. Results: general result of the laboratory analyses of main tree components samples is that the carbon content in biomass is around 50, 0 % of dry matter of the component. In line with volume allocation of main tree components are biomass of tree components and content of carbon sequestered in these components. The largest share in total tree biomass has stem, and foliage or needle biomass has the smallest share. The shares of main tree components in total biomass of the tree are depending on morphology of each of tree species. Conclusion: this research is a pilot and pioneer research of forest biomass its kind in Croatian forestry, and it should be continued for better knowing of relations in forest woody biomass of the main forest communities in Croatia.

biomass; tree component; estimation; carbon; forest stand

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