The Role of Wood Density Variation and Biomass Allocation in Accurate Forest Carbon Stock Estimation of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Mountain Forests

Abstract

The European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is one of the most common tree species in Romania, with importance both economically and environmentally. Accurate methods of biomass assessment at the tree compartment level (i.e., stump, stem, branches, and leaves) are necessary for carbon stock estimation. Wood density (WD) is an important factor in determining biomass and, ultimately, the tree’s carbon content. The average tree density was found to be 578.6 kg/m3. For this study, WD was evaluated by the weighting method related to tree volume. Also, to investigate a practical approach to determining the weighted wood density (WWDst), models were run using density at the base of the tree (WDBase), density at breast height level using discs (WDDBH), the wood core density (WDic), and the diameter at breast height (DBH) as predictors. The biomass assessment was conducted using different model evaluations for WWDst as well as allometric equations using the destructive method. From the results, it was noted that using the WWDst, the total biomass was underestimated by −0.7% compared to the biomass measured in the field. For allometric equations that included DBH and tree height as independent variables, the explained variability was around 99.3% for total aboveground biomass (AGBtotal), while it was 97.9% for allometric function using just the DBH. Overall, the distribution of biomass across different compartments was as follows: 73.5% in stems, 23.8% in branches, 1.9% in stumps, and 1.3% in leaves. The study findings offer valuable insights into WD, biomass distribution among different components, and biomass allometric quantification in natural beech forest environments in mountainous areas.