Above- and below-stump relationships for Picea abies: estimating root system biomass from breast-height diameters

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of forest research Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 328 - 333
• Main Authors: Drexhage, M. (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Champenoux (France). Unite de Recherches Croissance, Production et Qualite des Bois), Gruber, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 1999
• Subjects: ALBURA; AUBIER; BIOMASA; BIOMASS; BIOMASSE; BREAST HEIGHT DIAMETER; Correlation methods; DIAMETRE A HAUTEUR DE POITRINE; DIAMETRO A LA ALTURA DE PECHO; Ecosystems; Mathematical models; METHODE STATISTIQUE; METODOS ESTADISTICOS; Physiology; PICEA ABIES; Regression analysis; ROOT SYSTEMS; SAPWOOD; SISTEMA RADICULAR; STATISTICAL METHODS; SYSTEME RACINAIRE
• ISSN: 0282-7581; 1651-1891
• DOI: 10.1080/02827589950152647

Drexhage, M. and Gruber, F.(INRA Nancy, Unité de Recherches Croissance, Production et Qualité des Bois, F-54280 Champenoux, France, Institute of Forest Botany, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg , 37077 Göttingen, Germany). Above- and below - stump relationships for Picea abies: estimating root system biomass from breast - height diameters. Estimates of below - ground biomass are important in understanding the dynamics of forest ecosystems. With this aim in view, allometric relationships between above- and below - stump parameters for 15 40 - yr - old Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) from a pure stand in Lower Saxony, Germany, were developed. Using a small sample of trees enabled allometric relationships for estimating biomass and diameter distributions to be tested between above- and below - stump tree components [biomass and cross - sectional area of roots with diameter >0.5 cm, diameter at breast height (DBH), sapwood and transversal area at breast height and needle biomass]. Root biomass ranged from 8.1 to 31.7 kg, DBH from 14.7 to 22.8 cm and needle biomass from 5.0 to 24.7 kg. All root parameters were positively correlated with above-stump parameters. The regression model proposed in this study provides a reasonable prediction of structural root biomass given the DBH for Norway spruce.