Biomass Analysis

The accumulated organic matter found on a given area at a given time is standing biomass. Biomass is usually expressed in Mega grams per hectare (Mg/ha). However biomass is not the same as productivity, which is the rate at which organic matter is created by photosynthesis. One of the ways to calculate productivity is measure the ring width of a given time.

The dbh data collected for the phytosociologic analysis was used in different biomass equations to calculated the accumulated organic matter.(see table below)

The Total Live Biomass at the Sea Hill Drumlin in Branford, Connecticut, was in 1974 at the North side 131 Mg/ha and now in 1996 102 Mg/ha. The South side accounted for 148 Mg/ha in 1974 and for 1996 the total live biomass 162 Mg/ha. The decrease in biomass on the South side is due to logging. The South side was left alone.

The Biomass was derived from Biomass equations for Major Tree Species of the Northeast by L.M. Tritton and J.W. Hornbeck form the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1982).

How the equations are acquired follow this link.

Graphs of North and South from 1974-1996

3d graphs of the biomass per plot

Live Biomass of Sea Hill Drumlin, 1974

             North                            South
                         Biomass                           Biomass
             Species      Mg/ha               Species       Mg/ha

        Acer rubrum         3.58        Acer rubrum           2.98
        Acer saccharum     22.32        Acer saccharum       33.04
        Betula lenta        6.28        Amelanchier canade    0.19
        Carpinus carolini   0.21        Betula alleghanien    0.01
        Carya cordiformis   0.01        Betula lenta         10.88
        Carya ovata         1.30        Betula papyrifera     0.31
        Carya sp.           1.02        Carpinus carolinia    0.21
        Carya tomentosa     0.07        Carya cordiformis     0.37
        Castanea dentata    0.00        Carya glabra          1.63
        Cornus florida     41.36        Carya ovata           4.71
        Fagus grandifolia   2.06        Carya sp.             8.80
        Fraxinus american  16.97        Cornus florida       24.02
        Hamamelis virgini   0.04        Fagus grandifolia    13.37
        Juniperus virgini   4.36        Fraxinus americana    5.82
        Liriodendron tuli   2.51        Hamamelis virginia    0.15
        Nyssa sylvatica     1.28        Juniperus virginia    1.43
        Ostrya virginiana   1.21        Liriodendron tulip    0.62
        Pinus resinosa      0.06        Ostrya virginiana     4.34
        Pinus rigida        7.30        Pinus strobus         0.49
        Prunus serotina     0.85        Platinus occidenta    2.61
        Quercus alba        0.52        Prunus serotina       3.55
        Quercus rubra       6.79        Pyrus malus           0.09
        Quercus velutina    5.39        Quercus alba          0.29
        Sassafras albidum   2.43        Quercus rubra         4.49
        Tsuga canadensis    0.12        Quercus velutina     18.80
        Ulmus americana     2.75        Sassafras albidum     2.77
        Vitis sp.           0.41        Ulmus americana       0.83
                                        Vitis sp.             0.77
        Total             131.21        Total               147.59

Live Biomass of Sea Hill Drumlin,1996

             North                            South
                         Biomass                           Biomass
             Species      Mg/ha               Species       Mg/ha

        Acer rubrum         6.40        Acer saccharum       32.54
        Acer saccharum     19.46        Fagus grandifolia    24.94
        Betula lutea        5.84        Betula lutea         24.44
        Carpinus carolini   0.16        Carya glabra         18.14
        Carya glabra        1.95        Quercus velutina     14.68
        Carya ovata         6.90        Quercus rubra         9.81
        Cornus florida      2.96        Liriodendron tulip    7.89
        Fagus grandifolia   0.74        Carya ovata           5.15
        Fraxinus american  34.09        Quercus alba          4.78
        Liriodendron tuli   0.29        Acer rubrum           4.42
        Ostrya virginiana   0.78        Carya cordiformis     4.21
        Pinus rigida        4.97        Carya sp.             3.34
        Prunus serotina     1.02        Ostrya virginiana     2.92
        Prunus virginiana   0.02        Sassafras albidum     1.92
        Quercus alba        0.30        Prunus serotina       0.98
        Quercus rubra       4.02        Cornus florida        0.57
        Quercus velutina    5.71        Fraxinus americana    0.47
        Sassafras albidum   5.57        Hamamelis virginia    0.27
        Ulmus americana     0.16        Unknown               0.27
        Vitis sp.           0.47        Vitis sp.             0.18
                                        Tsuga canadensis      0.11
        Total             101.79        Total               162.01