Mapping growing stock volume and biomass carbon storage of larch plantations in Northeast China with L-band ALOS PALSAR backscatter mosaics

Reliable spatial information on growing stock volume (GSV) and biomass is critical for creating management strategies for plantation forests. This study developed empirical models to map the GSV and biomass of larch plantations (LPs) in Northeast China (1.25 million km(2) total area) by integrating L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data with ground-based survey data. The best correlation model was used to map the GSVs and biomasses of LPs. The total GSV and biomass carbon storage were estimated at 224.3 +/- 59.0 million m(3) and 113.0 +/- 29.7 x 10(12) g C with average densities of 85.1 m(3) ha(-1) and 42.9 10(6) g x C ha(-1), respectively, over a total area of 2.64 million ha. The saturation effect of SAR was determined beyond 260 m(3) ha(-1), which was expected to influence the estimations for a small proportion of the study area. The accuracy of the estimations has limitations mainly due to the uncertainties in the GSV inventories, discrimination of natural larch and the SAR dataset. Based on the mapping results of the GSVs of LPs, a planning strategy for multipurpose management was tentatively proposed. This study can inform policies and management practices to assure broader and sustainable benefits from plantation forests in the future.