Assessing Black Locust Biomass Accumulation in Restoration Plantations

Abstract

Forests (either natural or planted) play a key role in climate change mitigation due to their huge carbon-storing potential. In the 1980s, the Hellenic Public Power Corporation (HPPC) started the rehabilitation of lignite post-mining areas in Northwest Greece by planting mainly black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). Today, these plantations occupy about 2570 ha, but the accumulation of Above Ground Biomass (AGB) and deadwood has not been assessed to date. Therefore, we aimed at estimating these biomass pools by calibrating an allometric model for AGB, performing an inventory for both pools and predicting the spatial distribution of AGB. 214 sample plots of 100 m2 each were set up through systematic sampling in a grid dimension of 500 × 500 m and tree dbh and height were recorded. AGB was estimated using an exponential allometric model and performing inventory measurements and was on average 57.6 t ha−1. Kriging analysis reliably estimated mean AGB, but produced errors in the prediction of high and low biomass values, related to the high fragmentation and heterogeneity of the studied area. Mean estimated AGB was low compared with European biomass yield tables for black locust. Similarly, standing deadwood was low (6–10%) and decay degrees were mostly 1 and 2, indicating recent deadwood formation. The overall low biomass accumulation in the studied black locust restoration plantations may be partially attributed to their young age (5–30 years old), but is comparable to that reported in black locust restoration plantation in extremely degraded sites. Thus, black locust successfully adapted to the studied depositions of former mines and its accumulated biomass has the potential to improve the carbon footprint of the region. However, the invasiveness of the species should be considered for future management planning of these restoration plantations.