Abstract

FIGUEROA-NAVARRO, Consuelo Marisel; ANGELES-PEREZ, Gregorio; VELAZQUEZ-MARTINEZ, Alejandro  and  SANTOS-POSADAS, Héctor Manuel de los. Biomass estimation in a managed Pinus patula Schltdl. et Cham. forest at Zacualtipan, Hidalgo state. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2010, vol.1, n.1, pp.105-112. ISSN 2007-1132.

This study was carried out to estimate the aboveground biomass in the tree layer of managed Pinus patula forests, at the Ejido La Mojonera, Hidalgo, Mexico. This Ejido has a forest management plan based on the "seed-tree" method as a silvicultural system. The forest is divided into stands identified with the year when the regeneration cutting was applied. To estimate the biomass of P. patula simultaneous regression equations were adjusted taking into account the different structural components of the trees (stem, branches, foliage, and bark). The amount of tree biomass of the managed forest was obtained using the fitted equations and data from a forest inventory. The aboveground biomass in the tree layer increased with a rate of 6.67 Mg ha-1 in 25 years. The stand harvested in 1982 (the oldest stand originated after the regeneration cutting) showed a biomass accumulation relatively similar to that in the natural forest (166.6 and 184.03 Mg ha^-1, respectively). According to our results, it is possible to state that managed forests can efficiently fix CO₂ from the atmosphere and might become effective carbon sinks.

Keywords : Carbon storage; biomass; chronosequence; primary production; carbon sequestration; Zacualtipan.