Table 18.2. Total above-ground biomass (million tonnes) on forest land by species group, age class and boreal zone in Canada.
Boreal zone Species group Age (years) Total
1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-160 161-180 181-200 201+ Other1
Non-boreal Unclassified 1.41 2.07 0.11 0.14 0.07 0.12 - - - - - 25.82 29.73
Unspecified conifers 18.17 21.12 8.05 3.23 0.77 - - - - - - 0.02 51.36
Unspecified hardwoods 19.55 12.68 13.79 2.71 6.67 0.28 0.10 - - - - <0.01 55.77
Larch 1.15 4.17 10.17 12.84 22.65 16.99 12.80 6.42 3.56 1.90 12.33 - 104.98
Other hardwoods 1.28 12.47 42.65 48.74 32.74 10.07 1.86 0.47 0.01 1.01 3.94 - 155.25
Birch 8.57 58.16 126.25 143.19 175.24 58.41 11.31 6.18 0.17 0.24 0.48 - 588.20
Poplar 22.52 104.66 156.87 182.19 161.66 82.61 44.21 24.19 2.21 7.18 8.23 - 796.53
Cedar & other conifers 2.39 12.71 35.28 30.95 36.65 26.70 12.90 13.07 13.59 20.82 601.92 - 806.97
Maple 10.46 43.90 265.57 339.55 338.45 82.92 12.59 4.60 3.38 - 0.45 <0.01 1 101.86
Douglas-fir 2.60 20.96 79.04 109.64 145.16 184.09 193.57 147.06 50.65 42.59 209.82 - 1 185.19
Pine 16.24 95.53 92.45 166.85 323.43 223.32 218.26 137.33 59.99 35.84 77.60 - 1 446.84
Hemlock 6.07 42.39 85.67 81.96 87.81 45.12 49.30 29.22 39.03 23.63 1 183.76 - 1 673.96
Fir 12.28 88.37 173.05 152.62 127.31 73.92 76.08 104.10 103.90 91.58 670.78 - 1 673.98
Spruce 12.55 72.78 182.00 232.88 217.73 131.48 172.44 157.03 92.28 72.48 416.77 0.00 1 760.41
Subtotal 135.24 591.97 1 270.94 1 507.49 1 676.33 936.02 805.42 629.66 368.77 297.26 3 186.08 25.84 11 431.03
Boreal Other hardwoods 0.43 0.92 2.76 4.37 4.06 2.74 0.75 0.60 0.07 0.07 - 0.03 16.80
Cedar & other conifers 0.06 0.25 1.05 2.87 5.13 6.61 3.61 1.81 0.51 - - - 21.89
Unspecified hardwoods 23.21 9.37 0.25 0.01 - - <0.01 - - - - - 32.86
Maple 0.06 1.59 12.78 19.73 10.57 0.18 - - - - - - 44.92
Unclassified 2.66 1.49 0.04 0.11 0.07 0.03 0.07 0.10 0.03 - - 66.52 71.10
Unspecified conifers 52.83 61.51 10.74 1.38 0.16 - - - - - - 0.01 126.62
Larch 8.61 18.60 48.23 65.45 59.48 48.30 29.82 14.44 2.42 0.70 1.28 0.11 297.45
Birch 16.16 71.41 128.79 148.71 98.17 135.75 11.78 2.89 0.40 0.52 0.64 0.02 615.26
Fir 13.49 94.24 128.74 124.79 184.60 83.94 89.39 53.75 41.55 15.85 67.65 0.03 898.03
Pine 64.78 242.91 255.59 396.00 275.32 268.97 208.49 105.29 43.36 9.58 31.65 0.03 1 901.98
Poplar 83.31 212.37 398.73 955.46 861.89 390.14 182.85 59.69 8.82 3.17 3.65 0.01 3 160.07
Spruce 45.10 350.44 871.16 1 555.67 1 838.58 3 448.80 2 560.82 1 058.35 212.65 47.26 218.94 0.51 12 208.28
Subtotal 310.70 1 065.10 1 858.85 3 274.55 3 338.03 4 385.48 3 087.59 1 296.92 309.80 77.14 323.82 67.28 19 395.26
Canada Unspecified hardwoods 42.76 22.05 14.04 2.72 6.67 0.28 0.11 - - - - <0.01 88.63
Unclassified 4.06 3.56 0.14 0.25 0.13 0.15 0.07 0.10 0.03 - - 92.34 100.83
Other hardwoods 1.72 13.39 45.40 53.10 36.80 12.81 2.62 1.07 0.09 1.08 3.94 0.03 172.05
Unspecified conifers 71.00 82.62 18.79 4.61 0.93 - - - - - - 0.03 177.98
Larch 9.76 22.77 58.40 78.29 82.14 65.29 42.62 20.87 5.98 2.60 13.62 0.11 402.43
Cedar & other conifers 2.44 12.95 36.33 33.81 41.78 33.31 16.51 14.88 14.09 20.82 601.92 - 828.86
Maple 10.52 45.48 278.35 359.28 349.02 83.11 12.59 4.60 3.38 - 0.45 <0.01 1 146.78
Douglas-fir 2.60 20.96 79.04 109.64 145.16 184.09 193.57 147.06 50.65 42.59 209.82 - 1 185.19
Birch 24.73 129.57 255.04 291.90 273.42 194.16 23.09 9.07 0.57 0.75 1.12 0.02 1 203.45
Hemlock 6.07 42.39 85.67 81.96 87.81 45.12 49.30 29.22 39.03 23.63 1 183.76 - 1 673.96
Fir 25.77 182.61 301.79 277.41 311.91 157.86 165.47 157.85 145.44 107.43 738.44 0.03 2 572.01
Pine 81.02 338.44 348.04 562.85 598.75 492.30 426.75 242.62 103.35 45.42 109.25 0.03 3 348.81
Poplar 105.83 317.02 555.60 1 137.65 1 023.55 472.75 227.06 83.87 11.03 10.34 11.88 0.01 3 956.60
Spruce 57.65 423.22 1 053.16 1 788.56 2 056.31 3 580.28 2 733.26 1 215.37 304.93 119.74 635.71 0.51 13 968.70
Subtotal 445.94 1 657.06 3 129.79 4 782.03 5 014.37 5 321.50 3 893.02 1 926.59 678.57 374.40 3 509.90 93.12 30 826.29
Source: Canada's National Forest Inventory, combined remeasured (2007-2017) and projected (2006-2017 with NFI projection system) data< (Version 3, November 2023) (http://nfi.nfis.org)
Note: The Non-boreal zone in the Arctic ecozones (Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic) are not inventoried. The total land and water area amounts to approximately 252,202.08 thousand ha.
1 Missing or unknown age class.