Original scientific paper

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

ELVIS PALADINIĆ ; Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
DIJANA VULETIĆ ; Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
IVAN MARTINIĆ ; Faculty of Forestry University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
HRVOJE MARJANOVIĆ ; Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
KRUNOSLAV INDIR ; Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
MIROSLAV BENKO ; Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
VLADIMIR NOVOTNY ; Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia

Abstract

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 the planning of forest woody assortments production, for main commercial roundwood assortment 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 to know forest biomass resources in the country and present these
facts to international institutions or in treaties as needed. The estimation is also important for strategic planning of the use of renewable energy sources from woody biomass. On the other hand, estimation of the carbon content in forest woody biomass has importance in global climatemitigation policy and processes (Kyoto- and post-Kyoto period). The purpose of this paper is to present methodology applied for estimation of forest woody biomass and its
carbon content according to main tree components, on the forest stand scale.

Material and Methods: As research area, two representative Croatian
forest communities/stands were selected. The one represents flooded lowland pedunculate oak forest of Pokupski Basin, and the other represents mountain fir-beech forest of the Gorski Kotar region. Emphasis in the paper is on themethodology which was developed for the purpose of research. The methods applied in this study consist 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 the samples of main tree componets is that the carbon content in biomass was around 50,0% of the dry matter of a component. In line with volume allocation of main tree components are the biomass of tree components and the content of carbon sequestered in these components. Stem had the largest share in total tree biomass
while foliage or needle biomass had the smallest share. The shares of
main tree components in total biomass of the tree depend on morphology each of tree species.

Conclusion: This research was a pilot and pioneering research of forest biomass in Croatian forestry, and it should be continued to acquire better knowledge of relations in forest woody biomass in main forest communities in Croatia.

Keywords

biomass; tree component; estimation; carbon; forest stand

Hrčak ID:

47937

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/47937

Publication date:

31.12.2009.

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