Black Spruce Fuel Weights and Biomass in Two Interior Alaska Stands

Abstract

This study reports the fuel weight and biomass distribution in a 51-year-old lowland and a 55-year-old upland black spruce (Piceamariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) stand in interior Alaska. Biomass distribution is shown for overstory, standing and down dead tree components, herbaceous understory, and the moss layer. The lowland stand contained over 11000 stems/acre (27170 stems/ha) and 82 ft2 of basal area per acre (18.8 m2 of basal area per hectare), and the upland stand contained 6000 stems/acre (14820 stems/ha) and 96 ft2 of basal area per acre (22.0 m2 of basal area per hectare). Moss layers contributed 54.6 and 45.5 t/acre (120.1 and 100.1 metric t/ha) to biomass totals in the lowland and upland sites, respectively. Total biomass was 64.7 t/acre (142.3 metric t/ha) in the lowland site and 58.0 t/acre (127.6 metric t/ha) in the upland site.