The amount of carbon in the undergrowth biomass of main types of forests stands in Poland

The sequestration of carbon in biomass of herb and moss layers of forest ecosystems is relatively less studied, than analogical processes in trees biomass and soil organic mass. The paper presents mean values of carbon concentration and mean amounts of dry mass of plant material in the herb and moss layer of phytocoenoses formed under canopy of stands of main forest-forming species of trees in Poland. The parameters were studied for beech, birch, oak, alder, pine, fir and spruce forest stands, for most of the particular age classes. The studied plots were contained in following plant associations and communities: Ribo nigri-Alnetum, Fraxino-Alnetum, Galio odorati-Fagetum, Luzulo luzuloidis-Fagetum, Molinio caeruleae-Quercetum roboris, Calamagrostio-Quercetum petraeae, Abietetum polonicum, Abieti-Piceetum montanum, Calamagrostio villosae-Piceetum, as well as anthropogenic communities: Betula pendula comm. on Leucobryo-Pinetum habitat, Larix decidua comm. on Tilio-Carpinetum habitat, Pinus sylvestris comm. on Tilio-Carpinetum habitat, Picea abies comm. on Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum habitat (in lowland) and Picea abies comm. on Luzulo luzuloidis-Fagetum habitat (in lower mountain localities). The relatively highest carbon amount was observed in oak forests, pine forests and in older age classes of lowland beech forest, where the carbon concentration in dry mass reaches from 60 to 81%. The lowest concentrations were determined for lowland spruce forests, highland fir forests and for alder forests. The carbon concentration reached in these types of ecosystems from 39 to 41%.