Biomass partitioning in red pine ( Pinus resinosa ) along a chronosequence in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Abstract

Carbon (C) allocation to the perennial coarse-root system of trees contributes to ecosystem C sequestration through formation of long-lived live wood biomass and, following senescence, by providing a large source of nutrient-poor detrital C. Our understanding of the controls on C allocation to coarse-root growth is rudimentary, but it has important implications for projecting belowground net primary production responses to global change. Age-related changes in C allocation to coarse roots represent a critical uncertainty for modeling landscape-scale C storage and cycling. We used a 55 year chronosequence approach with complete above- and below-ground harvests to assess the effects of stand development on biomass partitioning in red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), a commercially important pine species.

Citation

King, J S; Giardina, C P; Pregitzer, K S; Friend, A L. 2007. Biomass partitioning in red pine ( Pinus resinosa ) along a chronosequence in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 37(1): 93-102. https://doi.org/10.1139/x06-217.