Estimation of Merchantable Bole Volume and Biomass above Sawlog Top in the National Forest Inventory of the United States

Abstract

Emerging markets for small-diameter roundwood along with a renewed interest in forest biomass for energy have created a need for estimates of merchantable biomass above the minimum sawlog top diameter for timber species in the national forest inventory of the United States. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service recently adopted the component ratio method for estimation of aboveground live tree component biomass, which incorporates regionally specific volume models by species and species group. The merchantable bole component is the biomass of sound wood from a 1.0-ft stump height to a minimum 4.0-in. top diameter. Minimum sawlog top diameters for softwoods and hardwoods in the FIA program are substantially larger than the merchantable bole top diameter, leaving additional bole biomass potentially available for utilization. This article describes a method for estimating merchantable bole biomass for the sawlog component and the component above the minimum sawlog top diameter for timber species in the FIA program.

Development of novel temporal beta-diversity indices for assessing community compositional shifts accounting for changes in the properties of individuals

“…The basal area of live trees was calculated as . The gross cubic-foot volume of live trees was estimated at ≥12.7 cm DBH, defining the total volume of wood in the central stem of the inventoried trees (bole biomass) assuming a 30.48-centimetre mean stump height and a minimum 10.16-centimetre top diameter (for a detailed estimation method, see Domke et al, 2013).…”

“…S2.I focussed on the basal area and bole biomass of each tree as changes in individual sizes that can be considered in the novel indices developed in the previous sections. The basal area of live trees was calculated as The gross cubic-foot volume of live trees was estimated at ≥12.7 cm DBH, defining the total volume of wood in the central stem of the inventoried trees (bole biomass) assuming a 30.48-centimetre mean stump height and a minimum 10.16-centimetre top diameter (for a detailed estimation method, seeDomke et al, 2013).…”

Norway spruce production and static stability in IUFRO thinning experiments in the Czech Republic

“…Both standing volume and total volume production of inside-bark wood below the 7-cm sawlog top diameter (e.g. see Domke et al 2013) were estimated according to Korsuň (1961). The volume production of the inside-bark sawlog was also calculated for trees with volumes exceeding 0.7 and 0.5 m 3 .…”

2016 Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy, Volume 1: Economic Availability of Feedstocks

“…The approach is based on (1) converting the sound volume of wood in the bole to biomass using a compiled set of wood specific gravities, (2) calculating the biomass of bark on the bole using a compiled set of percent bark and bark specific gravities, (3) calcu-lating the biomass of tops and limbs as a proportion of the bole biomass based on component proportions, (4) calculating the biomass of the stump using equations, and (5) summing the parts to obtain a total aboveground live biomass. The CRM incorporates regionally specific volume models by species and species group (Domke et al 2013).…”

“…The methodology has had some scrutiny. Domke et al (2013) report that biomass and carbon stock estimates decreased, on average, by 16% for the 20 most common species across the 48 conterminous states.…”