Above- and below-ground biomass and production of lodgepole pine on sites with differing soil moisture regimes

Abstract

The distribution of tree biomass and the allocation of production was measured in four stands of lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta var. latifolia Engelm.), two growing on sites with xeric soil moisture regimes and two on sites with mesic soil moisture regimes. At the time of sampling the stands were 70–78 years old. Aboveground biomass ranged from 116.5 Mg•ha−1 on one xeric site to 313.1 Mg•ha−1 on one mesic site. Stem biomass represented 68 and 73% of total tree biomass on the xeric and mesic sites, respectively. Total root biomass represented between 20 and 28% of total lodgepole pine biomass. Fine and small roots (<5 mm diameter) represented 4 and 1.5% of total tree biomass on the xeric and mesic sites, respectively. Total net primary production ranged from 7.9 Mg•ha−1•year−1 on the xeric sites to 11.9 Mg•ha−1•year−1 on the mesic sites. Stemwood production represented 20 and 27% of total net primary production on the xeric sites and 35% on both mesic sites. Belowground production represented 38 and 46% of total net primary production on the two mesic sites (4.5 and 5.5 Mg•ha−1•year−1, respectively) and 55 and 66% on the two xeric sites (4.3 and 6.3 Mg•ha−1•year−1, respectively). Fine and small roots represented 82–94% of belowground production. Production allocation was in the following order: fine and small roots > stems > foliage > coarse roots > branches, for all but the wettest site, where stem production exceeded fine and small root production.

Integrating remote sensing and climate data with process-based models to map forest productivity within west-central Alberta's boreal forest: Ecoleap-West

“…6) are in the general range of previously published values for boreal and other Canadian interior ecosystems (Comeau andKimmins 1989, Prescott et al 1989 For personal use only. For personal use only.…”

Estimating carbon storage in windbreak trees on U.S. agricultural lands

“…Franco) was found to have proportionately more root biomass on sites with low-productivity than on a highly productivity sites (Keyes and Grier 1981). For the same species, belowground production represented a greater proportion to total production in two xeric sites compared to two mesic sites (Comeau and Kimmins 1989).…”

“…For example, the belowground ratio for P. contorta ranged from 20 to 28 % (Comeau and Kimmins 1989) and 26 % for P. sylvestris (Xiao and Ceulemans (2004). On the other hand, Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb).…”

Influence of soil drying on leaf water potential, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and growth in two black pine varieties

“…Based on these observations, we may suggest that the water stress was applied during the maximum root growth period, which could explain why the dry regime reduced belowground growth proportionally more than aboveground growth, causing a significant decrease in the R/S ratio. This response diverges with models of whole plant biomass partitioning that predict that low rates of water absorption will result in increased biomass partitioning to root growth [ 12,28,38,41] …”