Carbon and nutrient stocks in matureQuercus roburL. stands in NW Spain

Abstract

-In the present study, the distribution of C and nutrients in biomass (above-and below-ground) and soil were estimated in native Quercus robur stands in NW Spain. This information can be used to design future strategies to preserve and improve these forests, which are subjected to severe degradation as a consequence of poor management and fire damage. Biomass equations for tree components were fitted simultaneously using the data corresponding to 31 trees felled in 4 representative mature stands. The C accumulated in aerial biomass, roots, litter layer and mineral soil made up 40, 10, 8 and 42% respectively, of the C in the whole forest system. Tree biomass contained higher amounts of macronutrients than the available reserves in the soil. Stem wood was the major tree compartment for most nutrients, with the exception of Ca, which was mainly accumulated in stem bark. In comparison with commercial forest plantations in the region, particularly high amounts of nutrients were accumulated in the litter layer because of the high amounts of litterfall and higher foliar concentrations of nutrients. Quercus robur L. / biomasse / nutrition forestière / carbone / régression apparemment sans rapport

Un modèle pour l’estimation du volume commercialisable de chêne pédonculé dans le Nord-Ouest de l’Espagne

“…This oak is also the dominant tree species in native forest in areas of Galicia (northwest Spain) with a wet oceanic climate, where currently 187 000 ha of pure oak stands are found [62]. Because of its importance and wide occurrence, studies related to the autoecology [20], site quality [4], and carbon and nutrient stocks [2] of pedunculate oak in the area have been carried out recently; nevertheless, none of them was related to merchantable volume estimation. The objective of the present study was therefore to develop a merchantable volume system for this species in Galicia.…”

Biomass models to estimate carbon stocks for hardwood tree species

“…More recently, such studies have been undertaken in plantations of Eucalyptus (Merino et al, 2005;Pérez-Cruzado et al, 2011) or hybrids of the genus Populus (Sixto- Blanco et al, 2007) due to their importance in bio-energy production. As regards Quercus species, Q. ilex has also been studied due to its wide distribution in the Mediterranean area (Canadell et al, 1988;Rapp et al, 1999); Q. pyrenaica for its firewood production (Carvalho and Parresol, 2003) and Q. robur (Balboa-Murias et al, 2006b) because of its ecological importance. However, other Quercus species, such as Q. canariensis, Q. faginea and Q. suber have been poorly studied despite their great ecological and economic importance too.…”

Evolución de la biomasa y del carbono acumulado por Quercus robur en Galicia (España)

“…Para la estimación de la biomasa de raíces se empleó la ecuación desarrollada por Balboa-Murias et al (2006) a partir del muestreo destructivo de 11 árboles. Aunque el número de observaciones utilizado fue reducido, es la única información disponible por el momento.…”

“…Por cada kilogramo de carbono acumulado en la biomasa arbórea se capturan 3,67 kg de CO 2 . En comparación con las plantaciones comerciales, los bosques naturales juegan un papel importante como depósitos a largo plazo de carbono (Huet et al 2004, Balboa-Murias et al 2006. Estimar la evolución de la biomasa forestal acumulada en una amplia región geográfica a medio o largo plazo está sujeto a una serie de limitaciones relacionadas con la ausencia de datos que definan con suficiente precisión el sistema; y por las alteraciones de entrada (plantaciones, colonización de nuevos terrenos, reclutamiento) y salida (talas, incendios, sequías, plagas, etc.)…”