Tree Allometrics

Pinus taeda / Branch biomass

NSVB loblolly pine (planted stands), species-level (all ecodivisions): branch biomass (wood and bark), segmented model (Eq. 2), D < 9 in (22.86 cm)

Branch biomassPinus taeda · PinaceaeUnited StatesplantationRead from the original paper
Photo of Pinus taeda
© Chris M Morris · CC BY · iNaturalist
Equation

As printed (Table S7a (Table S7a_branch_biomass_coefs_spcd.csv, WO-GTR-104-Supp1), columns SPCD,DIVISION,STDORGCD,model,a,b,b1,c)

131,,1,2,1.797223551,2.57376148,3.243154531,-0.612092191

In this library's units, ready to compute (kg)

Branch biomass = 0.45359237 * 1.797223551 * (D/2.54)^2.57376148 * (H/0.3048)^(-0.612092191)
D
Diameter at breast height (1.3 m), cm
H
Total tree height, m

DBH is measured at 4.5 ft (1.37 m). Paper units: in, ft, lb; expression converts D cm→in (/2.54), H m→ft (/0.3048) and lb→kg (×0.45359237). The scorecards don't split loblolly and slash pine by stand origin, so n and DBH range are left out. The DBH upper limit is the segmentation point k, not a data range. Lower branch of the segmented model; pair with westfall-2024-pinus-taeda-planted-branch-large. Species-level row: NSVB applies it in every ecodivision that has no row of its own for this species in this table. Table S7a also lists these exact coefficients under DIVISION 230; this record stands for that row too.

Source
yi = a × Di^b × Hi^c + εi; Di < k / yi = a × k^(b−b1) × Di^b1 × Hi^c + εi; Di ≥ k
Equation · Eq. 2, p. 2
Di is diameter (inches) at breast height (4.5 feet), Hi is total tree height (feet)
Units · Methods, Model development, p. 2
units for volume and biomass predictions are cubic feet and pounds, respectively
published.output unit · Examples of tree-level calculations, p. 8
131,loblolly pine,N,Pinus,taeda,,,Pinus taeda
Taxon · FIADB REF_SPECIES.csv (FIA DataMart), columns SPCD,COMMON_NAME,SHARED_COMMON_NAME_IND,GENUS,SPECIES,VARIETY,SUBSPECIES,SCIENTIFIC_NAME: the species codes the NSVB tables use
total branch wood and bark biomass
Output · Methods, Model development, p. 4
k is a set segmentation point that is 9.0 inches for softwoods (SPCD<300) and 11.0 inches for hardwoods (SPCD≥300)
Equation · Methods, Model development, p. 2
stand origins for planted (stand origin code (STDORGCD) = 1) and natural (STDORGCD = 0) stands may be fitted separately
stand · Methods, Model development, p. 3
If a species occurs in an ecodivision not explicitly listed, the entry having no ecodivision noted is used.
Where · Results, p. 6
DBH range
up to 22.86 cm
Method
NSVB segmented model (Eq. 2), coefficients for SPCD 131 (species-level row, no DIVISION), STDORGCD 1 from table S7a; fitted with weighted regression to destructively sampled trees
Where
United States, species-level fit (NSVB uses it wherever table S7a has no row for the tree's ecodivision)
Last checked
2026-11-03
Calculate
Height from
7.98
Branch biomass (kg)
3.75
Carbon (kg), ×0.47
13.8
CO₂e (kg), ×44/12
Fitted DBH range020406080100510152025303540DBH (cm)Branch biomass (kg)Branch biomass

Shaded: the DBH range the model was fitted on. Other inputs held at the values above.

Checks this equation passes

On every build, the library's form and the paper's own form (in its units) must both give these values within 1%.

InputsExpectedWe getFrom
D = 15.2, H = 13.77.987.98Computed from the printed form
computed from the published form at D = 6 in, H = 45 ft, converted to cm, m and kg

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