Canada's Forest Inventory 2001 - Publications du gouvernement du ...

2.7 Biomass Estimation
Biomass by component (stem wood, stem bark, branches, foliage) has been predicted for every vegetated
record in the CanFI2001 database. The methods used to estimate biomass reflect inherent characteristics
of the database and availability of ground plot data. They were guided by an overall objective to derive
empirical models that would logically convert volume to biomass where volume exists, or to relate
biomass to land cover where volume does not exist. These methods can be grouped into four scenarios
(Boudewyn, P.; Song, A.; and Gillis, M. Biomass estimation for vegetated areas of Canada. Natural
Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Victoria, B.C. Report in preparation.):
Scenario 1: gross merchantable volume exists (treed, merchantable stands). Figure 5 summarizes
the methods used to estimate biomass by component for CanFI2001 records that
contain volume.
Scenario 2: gross merchantable volume is missing, but should exist. Volume is first estimated
from look-up tables that contain average volume per hectare by various combinations of
classifiers represented in CanFI2001. The methods of Scenario 1 are then applied.
Scenario 3: vegetated treed land classes where gross merchantable volume is zero (treed,
non-merchantable stands). Permanent sample plots and temporary sample plots that
meet these criteria, along with published reports, were used to construct look-up tables
of average biomass per hectare for various components by combinations of classifiers
(ecozone and predominant genus).
Scenario 4: vegetated, non-treed records (e.g., grasslands, shrubs, muskeg). A database of
published information on biomass of these areas was created and used to develop look-up
tables of average biomass per hectare by combinations of land classes and ecozones.
Substitution guidelines were developed and implemented for combinations of classifiers that do not
have models or look-up tables due to gaps in the permanent or temporary sample plot development and
publication databases. Biomass is now summarized similarly to volume, and many of the tables shown
throughout the report include sections for biomass, or separate biomass tables.
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