Moreover, the stock change method for a permanent sample design minimizes the risk of double counting and makes it straightforward to gauge the accuracy of estimates. We expected that the use of paired samples (permanent design) would be the selleck products most efficient method for estimating changes. This was verified by our results; the sample standard error when an independent sample design was used to mimic a NFI based on temporary sample plots was about twice that for a paired sample design. A lower sample

error was also expected for estimates based on BiEqs compared to BEFs combined with volume. Again, the results supported this, but the differences seemed to be largely dependent on design rather than estimator. For all estimates, it should also be borne in mind that Epacadostat the influence of potentially incorrectly specified models was not considered. It is evident that an increasing number of countries are using permanent design in their NFIs (Tomppo et al., 2010). Data inventoried by the NFIs are also frequently used as a basis when reporting changes in the carbon

pool of living biomass under the UNFCCC/KP. We concur with this use and believe it is important to derive national representative biomass equations for individual species/groups of species. This study supports the hypothesis that there is a risk of bias when estimating changes in living biomass using BEFs derived from standing stock data. BEFs derived for change in stock may be unbiased but vary substantially over time, which is undesirable. For countries with no representative biomass equations, age-dependent BEFs may be suitable alternatives. The highest accuracy was obtained when estimating changes in living biomass using individual tree representative biomass equations per tree fraction. The equations were applied to a permanent sample based approach combined with the stock change method. Many countries Gefitinib research buy have adopted the same or similar approach when reporting under the UNFCCC/KP and underlying data are normally obtained from a NFI. The authors thank the MISTRA FutureForests program for part-funding this work. “
“The changes to the regression coefficients

in Table 5 resulted from an error discovered in the original Flakaliden stem mass data for one sample year that has been corrected. These changes will result in minor differences in Fig. 4A and B panels where the Wirth et al. (2004) and Lehtonen et al. (2004) stem mass estimates are somewhat closer to the 1:1 line at stem mass greater than 40 Mg ha−1, but still do not overlap it. The changes do not, however, affect our conclusions. “
“Timber plantations have been widely established across Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes (Zerbe, 2002 and Yamagawa et al., 2010) with plantation forests now making up 14% of total forest area in western European countries (Forest Europe, 2011) and about 70% of total forest area in Britain (Brockerhoff et al., 2008).