Canadian Forest Service Publications

Canada's forest biomass resources: Deriving estimates from Canada's forest inventory. 1997. Penner, M.; Power, K.; Muhairwe, C.; Tellier, R.; Wang, Y. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, BC. Information Report BC-X-370. 33 p.

Year: 1997

Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre

Catalog ID: 4775

Language: English

Series: Information Report (PFC - Victoria)

Availability: PDF (download)

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Abstract

The importance of Canada’s forest biomass in the global carbon cycle needs to be better understood as part of Canada’s efforts to meet its objective of sustainable forestry. The distribution of biomass, as well as the changes associated with different management scenarios, have implications for the long-term sustainability of the forest resource. The purpose of the national biomass inventory initiative is to provide efficient and timely estimates of the aboveground biomass components on forest land in Canada. This study builds on existing data and knowledge to generate spatially referenced biomass estimates for use in carbon budget modeling and resource assessment.

The results of the national biomass inventory focus on generating aboveground biomass estimates for the inventoried forest land. Different methods were used for low productivity forests (productivity class I) and higher productivity forests (productivity class II). For productivity class II, volume:biomass conversion factors are derived for unique combinations of site class and age (or maturity) class by species within province. The non-merchantable aboveground biomass components are estimated as fractions of the merchantable biomass. These conversion factors and fractions were computed by constructing hypothetical stands for each site, age, species and province combination, and estimating the merchantable volume and all of the aboveground biomass components from suitable published equations. The biomass of submerchantable trees is given for the same unique combinations of site class and age (or maturity) class by species within province. Biomass estimates for productivity class I forests are given by ecozones within each province.

The conversion factors are relatively insensitive to changes in stand age, density, site quality, and size distribution. This may be a function of the published biomass and volume prediction equations which use only dbh and height as the independent variables. Consequently, the resulting estimates are relatively stable and should provide good regional summaries of aboveground biomass components at the time of inventory. The conversion factors and fractions are used, in conjunction with the current national forest inventory, to produce spatially referenced biomass estimates for the inventoried forest land in Canada.

This report documents the procedures for deriving the national biomass inventory and gives examples of the results. The complete results are available from the Pacific Forestry Centre, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, B.C. V8Z 1M5.

Also available under the title:
Les ressources canadiennes en biomasse forestière: estimations à partir de l'inventaire des forêts du Canada (French)