State Report for Colorado

For Colorado, estimated merchantable wood volume is expected to decrease from 28.198 billion cubic-feet to 25.906 billion (a change of -8.1%), while estimated sawlog wood volume is expected to decrease from 19.029 billion cubic-feet to 17.325 billion (-9%). Estimated merchantable bole biomass is expected to decrease from 369.62 million tons to 343.14 million (-7.2%), while estimated stump biomass is expected to decrease from 19.009 million tons to 18.923 million (-0.5%), and estimated tops and limbs biomass is expected to increase from 71.904 million tons to 157.62 million (119.2%). Finally, estimated aboveground biomass is expected to increase from 489.16 million tons to 554.67 million, a change of 13.4%.

Figure 1: Percent difference in volume and biomass for Colorado

Species breakdown

The top ten species in Colorado in terms of standing biomass are Engelmann spruce, quaking aspen, lodgepole pine, Douglas- fir, subalpine fir, ponderosa pine, white fir, blue spruce, corkbark fir, and limber pine. These species account for 98.5% of the total aboveground biomass and 98.7% of the total merchantable volume. For merchantable wood volume, the species with the smallest percent change was quaking aspen -1%, while the largest percent change was with limber pine -18.8%. For total aboveground biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was limber pine 3.1%, while the largest percent change was with subalpine fir 27.4%. For sawlog wood volume, the species with the smallest percent change was ponderosa pine 2.5%, while the largest percent change was with limber pine -23.1%. For merchantable bole biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was white fir 0.6%, while the largest percent change was with limber pine -32%. For stump wood and bark biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was corkbark fir 0.4%, while the largest percent change was with Douglas- fir -15.7%. For top and limb biomass, the species with the smallest percent change was quaking aspen 25.5%, while the largest percent change was with subalpine fir 206.9%.

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

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