Modeling the additive stand biomass of Larix spp. for Eurasia

Abstract

When using the unique in terms of the volumes of database on the level of a stand of the genus Larix Mill., the trans-Eurasian additive allometric models of biomass for Eurasian larch forests are developed for the first time, and thereby the combined problem of model additivity and generality is solved. The additive model of forest biomass of Larix is harmonized in two levels, one of which provides the principle of additivity of biomass components, and the second one is associated with the introduction of dummy independent variables localizing model for eco-regions of Eurasia. Comparative analysis of the biomass structure of larch stands of different ecoregions at the age of 100 years shows, that the greatest values of biomass (210-450 t/ha) correspond to the regions adjacent to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as to the regions, located at the southern limit of larch growing area and the lowest – to northern taiga regions of Siberia, where larch grows on permafrost. The biomass indices of different ecoregions differed not only in absolute value but also in biomass ratios of different components; for example, the proportion of needles in the aboveground biomass is maximum (5.0-7.3%) in the northern taiga of Central Siberia and the Far East on permafrost and is minimum (1.4-1.9%) in larch forests of upper productivity having biomass values 210-450 t/ha. The proposed model and corresponding tables for estimating stand biomass makes them possible to calculate larch stand biomass on Eurasian forests when using measuring taxation.