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Species-Specific Basic Stem-Wood Densities for Twelve Indigenous Forest and Shrubland Species of Known Age, New Zealand

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Species-Specific Basic Stem-Wood Densities for Twelve Indigenous Forest and Shrubland Species of Known Age, New Zealand Marden et al. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science (2021) 51:1 https://doi.org/10.33494/nzjfs512021x121x E-ISSN: 1179-5395 published on-line: 15/02/2021 Research Article Open Access New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science Species-specific basic stem-wood densities for twelve indigenous forest and shrubland species of known age, New Zealand Michael Marden1,*, Suzanne Lambie2 and Larry Burrows3 1 31 Haronga Road, Gisborne 4010, New Zealand 2 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Private Bag 3127, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand 3 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, PO Box 69041, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand *Corresponding author: [email protected] (Received for publication 19 July 2019; accepted in revised form 26 January 2021) Abstract Background: Tree carbon estimates for New Zealand indigenous tree and shrub species are largely based on mean of sites throughout New Zealand. Yet stem-wood density values feed directly into New Zealand’s international and nationalbasic stem-wood greenhouse densities gas accounting. derived from We a limitedaugment number existing of publishedtrees, often basic of unspecified stem-wood age density and from data a limited with new number age- old, across 21 widely-distributed sites between latitudes 35° tospecific estimate values carbon for 12stocks. indigenous forest and shrubland species, including rarely obtained values for trees <6-years and 46° S, and explore relationships commonly used Methods: The volume of 478 whole stem-wood discs collected at breast height (BH) was determined by water displacement, oven dried, and weighed. Regression analyses were used to determine possible relationships between basic stem-wood density, and tree height, root collar diameter (RCD), and diameter at breast height (DBH). Unbalanced ANOVA was used to determine inter-species differences in basic stem-wood density in 5-yearly age P Kunzea ericoides (Myrtaceae) has only been Kunzea spp. We compare our groups (i.e. 0–5 years, 6–10 years etc.) ( <0.05). As specific taxa of identified at some study sites we combine the data from each site, and use the term Results:age- and Kunzea species-specific spp. and Leptospermumresults with existing scoparium published exhibited data positive where age correlations is specified between versus basic non-age-specific stem-wood densityvalues. and tree height, RCD, and DBH. No relationships were established for Melicytus ramiflorus, Coprosma grandiflora, Weinmannia racemosa or for Podocarpus totara, Agathis australis, Vitex lucens, and Alectryon excelsus Dacrydium cupressinum and Prumnopitys ferruginea relationship with DBH ≥6-years only, while old, for Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, each correlation was negative. Irrespective of age,<6-years basic old.stem-wood density is not different between the hardwood <6-years species L.old scoparium exhibited and a significant Kunzea spp. positive but is P=0.001) than that of the remaining, and predominantly softwood species of equivalent age. For Kunzea spp., L. scoparium, Coprosma grandiflora, Weinmannia racemosa, and Melicytus ramiflorus theresignificantly was no greater evidence ( that basic stem-wood density increased with tree age, and values were within the range of published and unpublished data. For naturally reverting stands of Kunzea spp. located between latitudes ≥6-years 35° old S, basic stem-wood density values tended to increase with decreased elevation and increased temperature. to 46° Conclusions: Increasing basic wood density values in Kunzea spp. with decreased elevation and increased temperature suggest that where local data are available its use would improve the accuracy of biomass estimates species, stands of regenerating shrubland, and new plantings of indigenous species will require additional basic stem-woodboth locally density and nationally. values for Furthermore, scaling from refining stem wood biomass volume estimates to total standfor existing biomass. communities of mixed softwood Keywords: basic stem-wood density, allometric relations, 12 indigenous forest and shrubland species, New Zealand. © The Author(s). 2021 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. Marden et al. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science (2021) 51:1 Page 2 Introduction Clifton (1990) suggests that basic stem-wood density The variability in basic stem-wood density and age are varies according to the age of the tree, the location of the wood within a tree (outer-wood/inner-wood, base or and carbon storage capability (Chave et al. 2004, Dale top of a tree), and while densities have been determined 2013).critical Stem-woodfactors influencing density valuesestimates feed ofdirectly wood intobiomass New for some of New Zealand’s historically important Zealand’s international greenhouse gas accounting of merchantable wood species (Hinds & Reid 1957, Beets forest carbon stocks, and for internal schemes such as the et al. 2012), the age of the trees and variations in basic Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) (Ministry for Primary stem-wood density were not determined, the sample Industries 2017), and the 1 Billion Trees Programme size was generally small, the methods uncertain, and (1BT) (Ministry for Primary Industries 2018). the location vague. Stand basic stem-wood densities Previously, New Zealand studies have estimated the biomass of indigenous forest stands for tree carbon stocks and sequestration using diameters and height soilwill type,also slope,change aspect, with elevationtime, influenced and rainfall by climaticregime, measurements of individual trees in forest inventory allvariability of which and can site-specific affect growth physical rates, factors, plant includingsurvival, plots (Carswell et al. 2012, Scott et al. 2000, Trotter et and carbon sequestration rates. Furthermore, as al. 2005, Beets et al. 2014, Schwendenmann & Mitchell the area of indigenous species plantings and their 2014, Dale 2013, Holdaway et al. 2014). When basic wood density values are available for only a limited number of species and locations, wood volume is converted to Afforestation/Reforestationdiversity increases with age, reporting, age-specific for updatingand species- the carbon stocks using generic (as opposed to species- nationalspecific stem-woodcarbon inventory density system data, (Land will beUse relevant and Carbon for Accounting System – LUCAS), and policy, to reduce net wood (oven-dry mass/ ‘green’ volume). Where species- greenhouse gas emissions as required under the Kyoto specific) functions based on the basic density of stem- Protocol (Ministry of the Environment 2010), and for are unavailable, congeneric values are used instead, or in comparison with pre-calculated forest carbon stocks theirspecific absence, and/or the regional mean ofbasic all published stem-wood values density e.g. values Beets (includes stem, bark, branch, leaves, litter, woody et al. (2012 and unpublished data1). debris, stumps and roots expressed in units of tonnes of -1 While most early studies in New Zealand collected CO2 ha ), by age, for given forest types in the Emissions basic stem-wood density data from sites of well- Trading Scheme (Ministry for Primary Industries 2017). We augment existing published basic stem-wood earlyestablished growth indigenous period of shrubsmany speciesand trees, remain age-specific elusive. Zealand’s indigenous forest and shrubland species from and species-specific stem-wood density data for the 21density widely data distributed with new age-specificsites located values between for 12 latitudes of New age-class distribution data of a wide variety of species 35° ° S. We explore relationships between basic overThe absencea range ofof geographictaxon-specific sites stem-wood introduces densityuncertainty and stem-wood density and tree parameters commonly in the accuracy of New Zealand’s national carbon used to to 46 estimate stem carbon stocks, and applicable to budget calculations (Scott et al. 2000, Chave et al. 2004, future efforts to reduce the uncertainty of carbon stock estimates for forest and shrubland communities where density to scale tree volume, as yield or growth, to stem basic stem-wood density values for different age classes biomass,Holdaway and 2014). from The stem use biomass of taxon-specific to total biomass stem-wood will of many species is currently missing. equations for estimating tree carbon storage, and avoid potentialimprove biasthe toaccuracy national ofcarbon species-specific budgets. allometric Methods Furthermore, basic stem-wood density values for a few widespread indigenous species (Entrican et al. 1951, Study sites Hall et al. unpublished data2 Basic wood density data was collected from 14 sites with a more restricted geographic range (Wardle 1991), located in the North Island and from 7 sites in the South can vary depending on geographic), and location,for specific though species no Island of New Zealand with a latitudinal range between ° S (Fig. 1). Details of species, elevation, and or site factors (Hall et al. unpublished data2). substrate characteristics are summarised in Table 1, and relationships have been verified with respect to climate presented35° and 46 in more detail in Appendix Table A1. Species nomenclature Since this study
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