BIOMASS and development of the Component Ratio Method or CRM
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Transcript of BIOMASS and development of the Component Ratio Method or CRM
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
BIOMASS and development of the Component Ratio Method
or CRM
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
What’s hot? Carbon and Climate!
Range and
Urban
FIA monitoring
engine
Land use/ Land cover
Forests andAnnual TPO
Climate Change Station
Biomass and
Carbon
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Biomass
Recent emphasis on the importance of carbon monitoring has elevated the need for consistent biomass estimation for every national inventory in the world.
FIA needed a compatible system for biomass and volume estimation in its national inventory database to serve carbon as well as other clients
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Biomass estimation goals
National consistency Biomass-volume compatibility in
our national database Realistic estimates of any
component for any selected area
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Some perspective on 865 tree species in the continental U.S.
..and, about 70% of aboveground tree volume/biomass is in the
bole
Tree species All VolumeTop 12 50%Top 35 75%Top 100 96%Other 765 4%
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
A note about biomass research studies
General tendency All the boles are strong All the trees are good
looking All the sites are above
average
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
but we know…. biomass is variable
Select red oaks - average VOLCFSND by Latitude
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Diameter (inches)
Ave
rage
VO
LCFS
ND
(sq
ft)
Select red oaks – average sound bole volume by latitude
Localized study
data can often be spread a
long, long way…
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Recent U.S. Research on biomass
Jenkins et. al complied a massive set of information on biomass estimation in the United States.
This research included valuable information on the relationships of various tree components such as boles, tops, limbs, stumps, etc
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
FIA development of CRM
CRM is the Component Ratio Method for calculating total biomass by tree component
CRM is a modified version of the commonly used biomass expansion factor (BEF) approach
CRM relies on individual tree measurements to estimate bole volume and missing and rotten material
CRM relies on published biomass studies to establish relationships between tree boles and other tree and site components
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Knowledge
The FIA national inventory has bole data on nearly 3 million trees
…andJenkins et al. has valuable data on tree component ratios for dozens of key species
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Knowledge fusion
Use FIA data for tree bole volume
Use Jenkins et al. research for tree component ratios
relative to the bole
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Outcome
Compatible estimates of volume and biomass for components at the tree level for all trees
in the national database
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Comparisons of biomass by species, region and method were
analyzed
Because CRM is only sound wood it generally, tracks slightly lower than Jenkins et. al
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
So what?
CRM reflects sound biomass only since the characteristics of rotten cull are not well known and, of course, missing material has no biomass – a nasty shortcoming of simple dbh-driven models
CRM will better capture trends if rotten cull and missing material levels are not constant under climate change scenarios- which they likely will not be – consider Katrina
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
A potential issue with simple biomass models
Before Katrina After Katrina
A simple Dbh driven biomass model would yield higher biomass after Katrina due to increased dbh…
but an incorrect biomass due to missing material…
And …adding the down-woody estimate would double count the material.
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Bottom line
80 years of FIA bole volume experience capitalized Published tree component ratio experience
capitalized Every tree in database has compatible components Cull and missing material trends can be accounted You can perform analysis on the component of
choice You can spatially cookie cut the database reliably You can recast older data for consistent trends
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
To Date Prepared paper Specific Gravity and Other Properties of
Wood and Bark for 156 Species of Trees Found in North
America
(updates Jenkins and adds more data on bark and species green
weights)
Prepared paper Investigation into Calculating Tree
Biomass and Carbon in the FIADB Using a Biomass Expansion
Factor Approach
Loaded the national database with new compatible component data using the CRM-BEF approach
2008 FIA Symposium (RMRS-P-56)
Investigation into Calculating Tree Biomass and Carbon in the FIADB Using a Biomass Expansion Factor ApproachLinda S. Heath, Mark H. Hansen, James E. Smith, W. Brad Smith, and Patrick D. Miles
Research Note NRS-38
Specific Gravity and Other Properties of Wood and Bark for 156 Tree Species Found in North America
Patrick D. Miles and W. Brad Smith
F I A
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
The Nation’sForest Census
Future developments
• Improve component ratios by species
• Improve bole volume estimates based on taper equations
• Improve non-tree carbon pool estimation
• Develop national biomass/carbon accounting system
Ref Description1 Small roots2 Medium roots3 Large roots 4a Stump above ground level4b Stump below ground 5 Bole to a 4" top (10cm)6 Large branches 7a Small branches7b Leaves or needles8 Central stem above 4" top
This modified diagram from Harold Young’s
work should be a mandatory addition to
any future biomass research
FINAL NOTE: Is it clear what you are measuring?