Assessment of Individual Tree above- and below- Ground Biomass Models for 34 Tree Species in China

Forest is the largest carbon bank on land, and assessment of forest carbon sequestration must be
based on biomass models. Based on the general biomass model M=0.3pD7/3 presented by Zeng and
Tang (2011), one-variable individual tree aboveground biomass models for all 34 tree species or
groups in China were established using the data of wood basic density of all tree species published;
and based on the mensuration data of 7532 sample trees from the National Biomass Modeling
Program in Continuous Forest Inventory (NBMP-CFI), the aboveground biomass models of 21 tree
species (groups) were validated. Additionally, compatible belowground biomass models and root-toshoot
ratio models for two species groups, coniferous and broadleaved, were developed and
evaluated. The results showed that the total relative errors of above- and below-ground biomass
estimates from one-variable biomass models developed in this study were less than ±1%. The
developed biomass models here could be applied to estimate forest biomass on macro levels, and
would be important supplement to the ministerial standards on biomass models which were
promulgated and implemented in the recent years. Finally, all the parameter values of one-variable
above- and below-ground biomass models and root-to-shoot ratio models for 34 tree species in China
were presented, which would provide reliable basis to estimate forest biomass for users at different
levels.