Abstract:

A remote sensing model of Picea schrenkiana forest biomass was established in the West Tianshan Mountain region of Xinjiang as the monitoring area. P. schrenkiana, forest volume/biomass of each age class was analyzed based on multi\|period remote sensing and forest resource survey data.
By extracting the information from RS and forest resource survey data and comparing biomass monitoring data in 1986, 1996 and 2007, the authors evaluated the spatial distributing changes of the forest biomass. The results showed that the total forest biomass per unit area decreased by 19% during the past 20 years. In 1986, the P. schrenkiana biomass per unit area in the West Tianshan Mountain region reached to 143.165 t·hm^-2, decreased to 141.875 t·hm^-2 in 1996 and then increased to 143.15 t·hm^-2 in 2007 Between 1986 and 1996, the forest area reduced by 2.88% and the total biomass reduced by 3.77%. After ten years, along with the implement of the national natural forest protection project, the natural forest resources in the West Tianshan Mountain region had recovered, as a result, the forest area increased by 1% and the total biomass increased by 1.91%. As to dynamic changes of forest biomass in different regions, P. schrenkianaforest biomass per unit area in Kashi River Basin was the highest, followed by Gongnaisi River Basin, Tekesi River Basin and other river basins. In generval, the dynamic changes of P. schrenkiana forest biomass in the whole forest region during the period presented the following characteristics: decreasing in (1986—1996), increasing in (1996—2007) and slightly reducing in the entire period.

Key words: Picea schrenkianaforest, biomass, remote sensing model, dynamic monitoring, West Tianshan Mountain region