State Report for Alaska

For Alaska, estimated merchantable wood volume is expected to decrease from 42.449 billion cubic-feet to 42.284 billion (a change of -0.4%), while estimated sawlog wood volume is expected to decrease from 41.678 billion cubic-feet to 36.887 billion (-11.5%). Estimated merchantable bole biomass is expected to decrease from 598.08 million tons to 543.71 million (-9.1%), while estimated stump biomass is expected to decrease from 29.827 million tons to 23.339 million (-21.8%), and estimated tops and limbs biomass is expected to increase from 96.482 million tons to 180.72 million (87.3%). Finally, estimated aboveground biomass is expected to increase from 750.29 million tons to 778.46 million, a change of 3.8%.

Figure 1: Percent difference in volume and biomass for Alaska

Species breakdown

The top ten species in Alaska in terms of standing biomass are western hemlock, Sitka spruce, mountain hemlock, Alaska yellow- cedar, western redcedar, black cottonwood, paper birch, white spruce, lodgepole pine, and black spruce. These species account for 99% of the total aboveground biomass and 99.2% of the total merchantable volume. For merchantable wood volume, the species with the smallest percent change was western redcedar 0.2%, while the largest percent change was with black cottonwood 9.7%. For total aboveground biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was Alaska yellow- cedar -1.2%, while the largest percent change was with white spruce 60.3%. For sawlog wood volume, the species with the smallest percent change was lodgepole pine -4.6%, while the largest percent change was with paper birch -30.1%. For merchantable bole biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was western redcedar -0.2%, while the largest percent change was with white spruce 37.4%. For stump wood and bark biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was lodgepole pine 13.8%, while the largest percent change was with western redcedar 49.9%. For top and limb biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was western hemlock 53.1%, while the largest percent change was with black spruce 340.7%.

Figure 2: Percent difference in total aboveground biomass and merchantable volume for the top ten species in Alaska

Figure 3: Percent difference in component biomass and volume for the top ten species in Alaska