A Modelling System for Dead Wood Assessment in the Forests of Northern Eurasia

Abstract

Dead wood, including coarse woody debris, CWD, and fine woody debris, FWD, plays a substantial role in forest ecosystem functioning. However, the amount and dynamics of dead wood in the forests of Northern Eurasia are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to develop a spatially distributed modelling system (limited to the territories of the former Soviet Union) to assess the amount and structure of dead wood by its components (including snags, logs, stumps, and the dry branches of living trees) based on the most comprehensive database of field measurements to date. The system is intended to be used to assess the dead wood volume and the amount of dead wood in carbon units as part of the carbon budget calculation of forests at different scales. It is presented using multi-dimensional regression equations of dead wood expansion factors (DWEF)—the ratio of the dead wood component volume to the growing stock volume of the stands. The system can be also used for the accounting of dead wood stock and its dynamics in national greenhouse gas inventories and UNFCCC reporting. The system’s accuracy is satisfactory for the average level of disturbance regimes but it may require corrections for regions with accelerated disturbance regimes.