BIOMASS AND CARBON STORAGE OF THE NORTH-AMERICAN DECIDUOUS FOREST

Field measures of tree and shrub dimensions were used with established biomass equations in a stratified, two-stage cluster sampling design to estimate above-ground oven-dry woody biomass and carbon storage of the eastern deciduous forest of North America. Biomass averaged 8.1 +/ - 1.4 (95%, C.I.) kg/m2 and totaled 18.1 +/- 3.1 (95% C.I.) gigatons. Carbon storage averaged 3.6 +/- 0.6 (95% C.I.) kg/m2 and totaled 8.1 /- 1.4 (95%, C.I.) gigatons. These values are lower than previous esti mates commonly used in the analysis of the global carbon budget which range from 17.1 to 23.1 kg/m2 for biomass and 7.7 to 10.4 kg/m2 for ca rbon storage. These new estimates for the deciduous forest, together w ith earlier work in the boreal forest begin to reveal a pattern of ove restimation of global carbon storage by vegetation in analyses of the global carbon budget. We discuss reasons for the differences between t he new and earlier estimates. as well as implications for our understa nding of the global carbon cycle.