New estimates of live biomass and net primary production of Russian forests: A footprint of climate change?

The paper presents new estimates of live biomass (phytomass) and net primary production (NPP) of Russian forests for 1993 and 2003. These indicators are estimated based on forest inventory data and a specially developed semi-empirical modeling system. The latter contains regional models of growth by major forest forming species, multi-dimensional models of phytomass and models of biological production. It is shown that the fractional structure of forest phytomass substantially differs from previous estimates that indicated significant temporal trends of the share of aboveground wood (AGW), green part (GP) and belowground (BG) phytomass. The total forest NPP is substantially higher than previously reported. These changes may be attributed to climatic change which was dramatic over the last four decades, particularly in Asian Russia.