Analysis of aboveground biomass in a mature stand of Pinus radiata

Abstract

A study of biomass in Pinus radiata D. Don with 42 years old was made, the trees were obtained of a stand placed between the cities of Santa Juana and Nacimiento, VIII Region, Chile. Three classes of top were differentiated in the stand: dominant, codominant and intermediate. The value of the mass for each component (wood, bark, branches, branchlets and needle) was obtained from each class of top; the wood resulted as the most important component in the total biomass of the tree (88.9%), then the bark (8.2%) and branches (1.5%). Obtained the values of biomass, the function of biomass for each component was obtained, related this values with the variables of the tree; the variables that showed greater correlation with the values of biomass by component and minors estimation errors are dbh (breast height diameter) and dbc (base of live crown diameter).