Parent stand age and harvesting treatment effects on juvenile aspen biomass productivity

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to characterize parent stand age and harvest method treatment effects on biomass production of aspen and other species, and to construct equations for the prediction of aspen stemwood, branch, and foliage biomass production. Aspen from young parent stands (30–40 years) generally regenerated taller and denser stands, and produced higher total aspen biomass and larger proportions of branch biomass than those regenerated from older parent stands. Stands regenerated after total biomass removal were taller and had larger diameters and average densities than stands regenerated by conventional logging. Aspen biomass component production was predicted consistently by various combinations and transformations of height and diameter. Key words: aspen, biomass equations, biomass production, harvest method, logging method, parent age