Biomass distribution in a young Scots pine stand

The standing biomass of a young Scots pine stand was measured at the SMEAR II experimental station in Hyytiälä, southern Finland. The stem volume was found to be 119 m3 ha–1, corresponding to 41450 kg ha–1 in stem biomass. The needle biomass was 5100 kg ha–1 and was constituted mainly by the two youngest needle age classes. The branch biomass was 9040 kg ha–1 and the root biomass 12 520 kg ha–1. The height of the first living branches was found to vary from 2.2 to 6.9 m, whereas the variation in tree height was between 4.1 and 14 m. The needle surface area was 3.9 m2 m–2 and the root length and surface area were 4180 m m–2 and 8.8 m2 m–2, respectively. More than half of the total fine root surface area was found in the upper 10 cm of the soil.