FBA 1

Biomass

The amount of organic material in three carbon pools/layers: aboveground, litter/necromass, and belowground, expressed in terms of weight (kg or ton or Mg). 

Carbon Pool

A reservoir or a system which has the capacity to accumulate or release carbon (e.g., forest biomass, wood products, soils, and atmosphere).

Carbon Sink

Natural features that absorb carbon dioxide, such as forests or seas.

Carbon Stocks

The amount of carbon that a forest and other ecosystems store at a specific time.

Carbon Sequestration

The rate of carbon storage (ton C per year). 

Aboveground Biomass (AGB)

Organic living biomass found above the ground, including trees (stems, bark, leaves, etc.) and herbaceous/understorey vegetation.

Belowground Biomass

The living biomass of roots of all sizes located beneath the soil surface. 

Necromass (Dead Organic Matter)

Non-living organic mass within the forest comprising coarse woody debris and dead standing or fallen wood. 

Litter

Dead organic matter found on the soil surface consisting of leaf litter and fallen fine plant materials.

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

The carbon contained and stored within the soil pool, excluding live roots.

Forest Inventory Approach

A structured methodological approach to estimate forest and vegetation-stored carbon through systematic measurements across five carbon pools: trees, understorey/herbaceous, CWD/necromass/litter, roots, and soil.