Conversion Parameters for Stand Biomass Estimation of Four Subtropical Forests in Southern China

Even though the National Forest Resource Inventory (NFRI) does not provide detailed forest biomass information directly, the NFRI data are useful for estimating forest biomass and carbon stocks by using conversion parameters. However, the accuracy and errors of this approach for estimating the stand biomass of subtropical forests remain unclear. In this study, we selected four typical subtropical forests ( Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation, Pinus massoniana evergreen coniferous forest, Choerospondias axillaris deciduous broadleaved forest, and Lithocarpus glaber – Cyclobalanopsis glauca evergreen broadleaved forest) in Dashanchong Forest Park to calculate the biomass expansion factor (BEF) and the root: shoot ratio (R). Our results showed that the average BEF values were 1.144 for C . lanceolata plantation, 1.301 for P . massoniana evergreen coniferous forest, 1.592 for C . axillaris deciduous broadleaved forest, and 1.3696 for L . glaber – C . glauca evergreen broadleaved forest, while the average R values were 0.197 for C . lanceolata plantation, 0.192 for P . massoniana evergreen coniferous forest, 0.226 for C . axillaris deciduous broadleaved forest, and 0.221 for L . glaber – C . glauca evergreen broadleaved forest. These results revealed that the values of BEF and R for broadleaved forests were larger than that for coniferous forests, and suggested that calculated the BEF and R of each forest type may be important for precise estimating forest biomass in the subtropical zone of southern China.