Diameter-based biomass prediction and assement of leaf area:Sapwood ratio for Turksih-fir (Abies nordmanniana (Stev.) Spach. ssp. bormulleriana (Mattf.) Code et Cullen) in Duzce province

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between leaf surface area and sapwood area and estimate the tree biomass based on the diameter at breast height for Turkish-fir grown in the inland part of Duzce located in western Black Sea climatic region.In summer of, 2009 the total of 30 sample trees with the diameters at breast height (dbh) between 15-40 cm were selected from 27 units of Forest Management Chiefship. After the sample trees was fallen-down with a chain-saw some of the tree variables such as dbh, height, height to crown-base, crown-height etc. were recorded in the field. Then for each trees trunk, live and dead branches were separated and weighted in the field. Then three sub-samples from each component were taken to the lab to determine the moisture conditions. The roots of the trees were sampled using pickaxes and an excavator.After the samples were brought to the lab, they were oven dried at 65 0C until the weight was stabilized, then the biomasses of the tree components (trunk, branch, leaf and root) were calculated using these dry-weight ratios.To estimate the amount of the needle, the spurs from each branch were clipped and placed in nylon-mash bags then weighed in the field. From each bag about three kg of three sub-samples were brought to the lab. In the lab, each needle was plucked to separate the leaf and woody parts of the spurs. From each sub-samples, projected leaf area of 7-8 needles were measured using a leaf area scanner (ADC, Bioscientific Ltd. Area-meter, AM-300). Then the weight of the same samples was also recorded to determine the relationship between the area and weight of the samples.To determine the sap-wood area 5 cm thick disks were sampled at dbh and crown-base on each tree. Diameter and bark thickness of each disk were recorded and sap-wood areas were calculated as cm2. The relationship between sap-wood and needle-surface area were determined with linear regression analysis.Analysis of data indicated that there was a linear positive relationship between total above- and below-ground biomass (R2= 0.8605), the biomass of the trunk (R2= 0.7888), biomass of the branches (R2= 0.6535) and biomass of the needles (R2= 0.5222) with the dbh of fir trees was also positively and linearly related (R2= 0.7075) to the dbh, respectively.The results of the analysis also indicated that the sap-wood area and projected leaf area has a positive linear relationship (R2= 0.36) for Turkish-fir eastern beech. The ratio of needle surface area to the sap-wood at dbh was calculated as 3675 m2 m-2.