Inventory-based carbon stock of Flemish forests: 
a comparison of European biomass expansion factors

Camp, Nancy Van; Walle, Inge Vande; Mertens, Jan; Samson, Roeland; Lust, Noël; Lemeur, Raoul; Boeckx, Pascal; Lootens, Peter; Beheydt, Daan; Mestdagh, I; Sleutel, Steven; Verbeeck, Hans; Cleemput, Oswald Van; Hofman, Georges; Carlier, L.

doi:10.1051/forest:2004066

Cited by 31 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…Therefore, the establishment of new BEFs should not have the highest priority for future forest inventories in Belgium. However, more detailed investigations on biomass expansion factors s.s. can undoubtedly contribute to the improvement of the forest carbon stock assessment for Belgium, as also mentioned by Van Camp et al [51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…[44,48,56]), it was not possible to find BEF1, BEF2 or BEF3 values for the three age classes of the distinguished species, because of the explicit conditions applied in our study. Moreover, the volume and age class for which the BEFs were established were not communicated in most cases, a problem also signalled by Van Camp et al [51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…However, if the inventory-based carbon budgeting method has to be applied, then calculation techniques are needed to convert and expand stemwood volume into total aboveground and belowground carbon stocks [48]. If tree-wise data are available, biomass equations can be applied [26,51]. Otherwise, the use of a conversion procedure based on so-called biomass expansion factors s.l.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growing stock-based assessment of the carbon stock in the Belgian forest biomass

et al. 2005

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-Belgian forests covered 693 181 ha in 2000, representing 22.7% of the total land area. As no biomass or carbon stock data are included in the Flemish and Walloon regional forest inventories, species-specific wood densities, biomass expansion factors s.s. and carbon content values were critically selected from the literature. Based on these conversion and expansion factors, and on data from the forest inventories, the total C-stock in the living biomass of productive Belgian forests was assessed at 60.9 Mt C in the year 2000. The overall mean C-stock amounted to 101.0 t C ha -1 . This value was in the higher range of values reported for the neighbouring countries, mainly due to a high mean growing stock in the Belgian forests (261.9 m 3 ha -1 ). The conversion from wood volume to wood biomass based on wood density values reported in the literature appeared to introduce the largest variability in the assessment of the carbon stocks. Additional measurements of wood densities in Belgian forests could help to reduce the uncertainty related to this factor. Because of the time-consuming and destructive character of the determination of biomass expansion factors s.s. (BEFs), the establishment of new BEFs does not have the highest priority in the framework of improving the assessment of the biomass carbon stock in the Belgian forests. As the median C-content value for all species except beech was equal to the default IPCC-value of 50% carbon in dry matter, it seems appropriate to use this value for future calculations.forest inventory / carbon stock / biomass expansion factor / wood density / aboveground and belowground biomass / carbon content Résumé -Estimation des stocks de carbone dans la biomasse des forêts en Belgique. La forêt belge couvrait 693 181 ha en 2000, ce qui représente 22,7 % de la surface totale du pays. Les inventaires forestiers flamands et wallons n'incluent pas de mesures directes de biomasse ou de stock de carbone. Pour calculer les stocks de carbone dans les arbres forestiers à partir des volumes de bois fort, les infradensités du bois, les facteurs d'expansion de la biomasse et les teneurs en carbone ont été sélectionnés dans la littérature. En 2000, les stocks de carbone dans la biomasse des forêts belges productives étaient de 60,9 Mt C, soit 101,0 t C ha -1 . Cette dernière valeur est relativement haute comparée avec celles observées dans les forêts des pays avoisinants, à cause d'un grand volume de bois fort dans les forêts belges (261,9 m 3 ha -1 ). L'infradensité du bois semble être le facteur qui introduit la plus importante variabilité dans le calcul des stocks de carbone dans la biomasse. Des mesures complémentaires des infradensités du bois des essences les plus communes en Belgique pourraient aider à réduire significativement les incertitudes sur les mesures des stocks de carbone dans les forêts. La détermination expérimentale des facteurs d'expansion est coûteuse en temps et se base sur des analyses destructives. Ainsi, l'obtention de facteurs d'expansion propre à la situati...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growing stock-based assessment of the carbon stock in the Belgian forest biomass

et al. 2005

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“…However, the effects of conversion of natural forest to tree plantation have less been assessed. Carbon stocks of both natural and plantation forests are well documented [5,9,11,19,21,23,29,43,47], in terms of carbon sequestration, however, the relative importance of each is often confused.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conversion of a natural broad-leafed evergreen forest into pure plantation forests in a subtropical area: Effects on carbon storage

et al. 2005

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-For the last several decades, native broad-leafed forests in many areas of south China have been converted into plantations of more productive forest species for timber use. This paper presents a case study examining how this forest conversion affects ecosystem carbon storage by comparing 33 year-old plantations of two coniferous trees, Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata, CF) and Fokienia hodginsii (FH) and two broadleaved trees, Ormosia xylocarpa (OX) and Castanopsis kawakamii (CK), with an adjacent relict natural forest of Castanopsis kawakamii (NF, ~150 year old) in Sanming, Fujian, China. Overall estimates of total ecosystem carbon pools ranged from a maximum of 399.1 Mg ha -1 in the NF to a minimum of 210.6 Mg ha -1 in the FH. The combined tree carbon pool was at a maximum in the NF where it contributed 64% of the total ecosystem pool, while the OX had the lowest contribution by trees at only 49%. Differences were also observed for the carbon pools of undergrowth, forest floor and standing dead wood, but that these pools together represent at the most 5% of the ecosystem C stock. Total C storage in the surface 100 cm soils ranged from 123.9 Mg ha -1 in the NF to 102.3 Mg ha -1 in the FH. Significant differences (P < 0.01) in SOC concentrations and storage between native forest and the plantations were limited to the surface soils (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm), while no significant difference was found among the plantations at any soil depth (P > 0.05). Annual aboveground litterfall C ranged from 4.51 Mg ha -1 in the CK to 2.15 Mg ha -1 in the CF, and annual belowground litterfall (root mortality) C ranged from 4.35 Mg ha -1 in the NF to 1.25 Mg ha -1 in the CF. When the NF was converted into tree plantations, the vegetation C pool (tree plus undergrowth) was reduced by 27-59%, and the detritus C pool (forest floor, standing dead wood, and soils) reduced by 20-25%, respectively. These differences between the NF and the plantations may be attributed to a combination of factors including more diverse species communities, more C store types, higher quantity and better quality of above-and belowground litter materials under the NF than under the plantations and site disturbance during the establishment of plantations.carbon storage / carbon input / natural forest / monoculture plantation Résumé -Conversion d'une forêt naturelle feuillue en plantations forestières pures en zone subtropicale : effets sur le stockage de carbone. Dans les dernières décades, dans beaucoup de zones de la Chine du Sud, des forêts feuillues naturelles ont été transformées en plantations plus productives en bois. Cet article présente une étude de cas examinant comment cette conversion forestière affecte le stockage de carbone dans l'écosystème. L'étude compare des plantations âgées de 33 ans de deux conifères, Cunninghamia lanceolata (CF) et Fokienia hodginsii (FH) et deux feuillus, Ormosia xylocarpa (OX) et Castanopsis kawakamii (CK) avec une forêt naturelle relictuelle adjacente de Castanopsis kawakamii (NF), âgée d'environ 150 an...

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“…In comparison with commercial plantations, which are subject to net losses of C as a consequence of site perturbations and low inputs from litterfall [42,47], natural forests play an important role as long-term C sinks in soil and tree components [6,23,24,50]. However, disturbances can disrupt the C cycle through direct effects on tree biomass (the age-class distribution of the forest shifts to younger stands containing less C, [28]) and soil organic matter decomposition [17] and, therefore, leading to reduction in C stocks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon and nutrient stocks in matureQuercus roburL. stands in NW Spain

et al. 2006

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-In the present study, the distribution of C and nutrients in biomass (above-and below-ground) and soil were estimated in native Quercus robur stands in NW Spain. This information can be used to design future strategies to preserve and improve these forests, which are subjected to severe degradation as a consequence of poor management and fire damage. Biomass equations for tree components were fitted simultaneously using the data corresponding to 31 trees felled in 4 representative mature stands. The C accumulated in aerial biomass, roots, litter layer and mineral soil made up 40, 10, 8 and 42% respectively, of the C in the whole forest system. Tree biomass contained higher amounts of macronutrients than the available reserves in the soil. Stem wood was the major tree compartment for most nutrients, with the exception of Ca, which was mainly accumulated in stem bark. In comparison with commercial forest plantations in the region, particularly high amounts of nutrients were accumulated in the litter layer because of the high amounts of litterfall and higher foliar concentrations of nutrients. Quercus robur L. / biomasse / nutrition forestière / carbone / régression apparemment sans rapport

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Inventory-based carbon stock of Flemish forests: a comparison of European biomass expansion factors

Cited by 31 publications

References 20 publications

Growing stock-based assessment of the carbon stock in the Belgian forest biomass

Growing stock-based assessment of the carbon stock in the Belgian forest biomass

Conversion of a natural broad-leafed evergreen forest into pure plantation forests in a subtropical area: Effects on carbon storage

Carbon and nutrient stocks in matureQuercus roburL. stands in NW Spain

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