Table 18.4. Total above-ground biomass (million tonnes) on forest land by species group, age class and managed forest region in Canada.
Managed forests 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
0 Larch - 0.01 0.02 0.01 <0.01 - - - - - - - 0.04
Unspecified hardwoods 0.03 0.01 0.07 0.06 <0.01 0.01 - - - - - - 0.17
Unspecified conifers 0.03 0.05 0.06 0.12 0.00 - - - - - - - 0.25
Unclassified - 0.00 0.02 0.07 0.05 0.07 0.03 0.12 0.03 - - 0.26 0.65
Other hardwoods 0.01 0.07 0.61 1.31 0.60 0.02 <0.01 0.02 - - 0.01 - 2.67
Douglas-fir - 0.09 - 0.02 0.64 1.33 0.95 0.14 0.03 - 0.52 - 3.72
Birch 0.04 0.71 2.61 3.05 0.16 0.01 0.01 - - - - - 6.60
Fir 0.01 0.74 1.93 3.50 0.52 - 0.31 - - - 0.21 - 7.20
Hemlock - 0.09 0.41 0.73 0.30 0.99 0.47 0.01 0.38 0.08 4.35 - 7.81
Pine 0.00 0.14 0.79 5.37 2.22 0.67 0.02 - 0.01 <0.01 0.02 - 9.23
Cedar & other conifers 0.01 0.03 0.47 2.48 1.68 0.07 1.17 0.09 0.09 0.31 9.18 - 15.58
Spruce 0.04 0.83 3.75 2.80 4.76 1.06 3.05 1.07 1.11 - 1.74 - 20.23
Poplar 0.08 1.59 1.08 1.77 18.53 7.52 - - - - - - 30.59
Maple <0.01 1.83 1.42 4.19 1.39 31.34 - - - - - <0.01 40.17
Subtotal 0.25 6.19 13.24 25.47 30.88 43.09 6.01 1.45 1.64 0.39 16.04 0.26 144.91
11 Unspecified hardwoods 31.15 8.36 1.17 0.08 1.99 0.07 0.11 - - - - - 42.93
Unclassified 2.30 1.23 0.10 0.14 0.09 0.09 0.04 - - - - 40.03 44.03
Other hardwoods 0.84 5.28 15.13 16.32 11.22 5.33 1.11 0.31 0.02 0.67 3.29 0.03 59.55
Unspecified conifers 53.71 50.86 11.01 0.45 0.23 - - - - - - - 116.26
Larch 5.53 7.77 25.22 36.92 42.43 34.54 24.82 9.23 2.69 1.20 10.14 0.11 200.60
Maple 3.91 15.43 63.59 93.24 154.61 26.25 4.45 1.77 2.58 - 0.35 - 366.18
Cedar & other conifers 1.28 6.29 16.35 13.29 22.53 17.74 9.56 7.49 8.60 11.92 395.02 - 510.07
Douglas-fir 1.94 9.34 31.15 55.34 79.46 89.49 107.92 96.27 32.98 25.79 133.41 - 663.09
Birch 12.67 78.51 166.03 180.85 199.29 59.73 18.38 6.86 0.52 0.23 1.09 0.02 724.20
Hemlock 5.79 27.13 54.58 55.31 55.63 26.00 32.25 14.83 20.87 17.19 762.73 - 1 072.31
Fir 18.23 115.47 160.43 148.84 181.73 92.13 89.82 90.50 91.27 61.05 509.09 0.03 1 558.58
Pine 44.33 166.72 184.17 324.53 368.97 321.83 297.36 167.47 68.34 32.89 68.51 0.03 2 045.14
Poplar 60.45 140.09 246.19 650.70 512.32 314.14 179.50 64.06 9.43 3.28 5.52 <0.01 2 185.68
Spruce 32.13 164.72 484.11 873.90 934.22 565.92 762.39 369.32 212.07 82.67 349.60 0.25 4 831.30
Subtotal 274.28 797.19 1 459.24 2 449.90 2 564.72 1 553.26 1 527.72 828.09 449.37 236.90 2 238.74 40.50 14 419.92
12 Unspecified hardwoods 0.45 0.40 0.18 0.01 - - - - - - - - 1.03
Other hardwoods - 0.03 0.63 0.60 0.50 0.01 0.13 0.20 - - - - 2.09
Unspecified conifers 0.31 1.65 0.22 0.17 0.08 - - - - - - 0.01 2.44
Cedar & other conifers 0.01 0.04 0.32 1.33 0.63 0.58 0.38 0.03 0.01 0.05 5.40 - 8.79
Unclassified - 0.03 - - - - - - - - - 9.25 9.28
Birch 0.36 1.09 4.17 10.93 3.64 2.24 0.81 0.57 - - 0.03 - 23.84
Larch 0.94 1.53 3.20 6.12 6.75 4.83 2.69 1.22 1.06 0.05 0.65 - 29.04
Maple 0.15 0.51 6.70 23.58 8.37 4.07 0.51 0.38 0.36 - 0.02 - 44.66
Hemlock 0.03 2.48 4.70 3.26 7.75 3.80 3.12 0.89 2.68 0.21 22.79 - 51.69
Fir 0.39 1.89 4.78 4.66 5.08 2.06 5.33 4.59 2.59 3.15 19.80 - 54.32
Douglas-fir 0.06 1.04 7.22 7.72 10.77 17.38 20.50 13.18 4.35 2.96 11.76 - 96.94
Pine 6.53 27.89 31.77 40.59 34.34 21.15 11.90 4.20 1.43 1.15 3.29 <0.01 184.24
Poplar 7.73 20.41 45.08 87.16 46.33 16.58 5.30 5.83 0.40 0.31 0.49 <0.01 235.62
Spruce 5.11 65.78 58.81 129.97 127.35 67.31 31.90 23.35 5.54 1.13 16.39 - 532.64
Subtotal 22.08 124.78 167.78 316.11 251.58 140.02 82.56 54.44 18.41 9.00 80.61 9.26 1 276.62
13 Hemlock - - - - 0.02 0.02 - - - - - - 0.04
Cedar & other conifers - - 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.03 0.03 0.16 - - - - 0.34
Unspecified hardwoods 1.30 0.22 0.08 0.02 - - - - - - - - 1.62
Other hardwoods 0.01 0.04 0.91 0.03 0.27 1.27 0.14 0.02 - - - - 2.69
Maple 0.01 0.06 1.47 3.57 1.13 0.19 - - - - - - 6.44
Unspecified conifers 3.00 5.03 0.68 0.61 - - - - - - - - 9.31
Unclassified 0.27 - - - - - <0.01 - - - - 23.82 24.08
Birch 5.25 9.81 12.37 18.05 14.28 4.49 0.92 0.13 - 0.53 - - 65.84
Larch 1.59 6.51 13.38 13.89 13.92 11.08 5.90 6.40 0.40 0.13 0.20 - 73.39
Fir 0.15 5.87 15.31 23.50 41.87 31.65 29.65 13.13 1.37 0.65 0.70 - 163.85
Pine 13.35 69.30 54.76 53.43 41.08 54.56 16.34 0.82 2.35 - - - 305.99
Poplar 5.09 22.28 23.75 67.19 219.81 34.80 1.32 0.31 - 1.21 0.41 - 376.17
Spruce 8.88 82.15 271.79 336.96 605.16 2 246.17 1 252.55 648.52 21.72 5.50 35.38 0.13 5 514.90
Subtotal 38.91 201.27 394.54 517.29 937.59 2 384.24 1 306.85 669.50 25.84 8.02 36.68 23.95 6 544.68
20 Unspecified hardwoods 0.79 0.72 1.82 0.17 0.41 0.05 - - - - - - 3.96
Unclassified 0.16 0.39 - - <0.01 - - - - - - 4.19 4.74
Unspecified conifers 0.94 4.99 0.54 0.33 0.13 - - - - - - - 6.92
Other hardwoods 0.03 1.37 4.22 2.96 5.38 0.54 0.29 0.51 0.02 0.07 0.07 - 15.46
Larch 0.79 3.07 4.23 10.07 10.71 9.95 3.81 1.25 0.74 0.46 0.67 <0.01 45.76
Maple 0.23 3.85 21.84 31.69 34.41 7.40 0.28 0.70 - - - - 100.39
Douglas-fir - 0.08 4.51 5.01 19.32 23.17 10.11 10.99 3.44 2.43 31.25 - 110.33
Birch 1.66 15.47 26.57 28.64 30.09 7.22 1.33 0.32 0.03 - - - 111.35
Cedar & other conifers 0.02 0.38 1.89 1.81 3.49 4.20 1.26 4.39 4.63 7.66 138.98 - 168.71
Hemlock - 1.35 8.26 3.01 2.92 7.82 5.72 7.41 8.83 4.00 228.00 - 277.33
Poplar 4.74 29.17 72.94 127.20 81.19 34.32 10.52 1.94 0.23 0.83 2.69 - 365.78
Fir 1.08 13.85 27.89 25.58 48.09 16.84 25.70 32.32 29.19 16.88 134.09 - 371.51
Pine 7.73 33.81 36.71 77.87 90.17 59.66 69.53 55.56 26.63 7.39 32.09 - 497.14
Spruce 3.68 36.12 107.57 245.57 216.34 394.15 286.54 89.24 42.71 21.57 157.12 0.12 1 600.74
Subtotal 21.84 144.62 319.00 559.92 542.64 565.33 415.10 204.65 116.46 61.27 724.97 4.32 3 680.11
31 Hemlock - - - - - - - - 0.01 - 0.07 - 0.08
Unclassified - - - - - - - - - - - 0.10 0.10
Unspecified hardwoods - - 0.11 - - - - - - - - - 0.11
Cedar & other conifers - - - - - - - - - 0.03 0.28 - 0.31
Other hardwoods - 0.02 0.15 0.57 0.17 0.35 - - - - - - 1.26
Fir - 0.03 1.72 0.24 - - 0.05 - - - - - 2.04
Birch 0.25 0.03 1.01 2.27 0.20 - - - - - - - 3.76
Larch 0.02 0.46 0.51 1.64 0.69 0.51 0.71 0.34 0.09 - 0.11 - 5.06
Douglas-fir - 0.68 0.60 0.23 0.24 0.60 0.45 0.41 0.30 0.00 1.60 - 5.10
Maple 0.92 0.59 2.80 1.05 3.77 0.07 - - - - - - 9.20
Pine 0.26 5.85 0.60 4.40 1.29 2.49 1.19 0.02 - - 0.05 - 16.16
Poplar 0.74 3.06 1.43 9.63 1.91 4.10 0.73 - - - - - 21.60
Spruce 0.09 2.72 3.32 8.93 6.57 3.26 1.70 14.78 2.48 0.08 0.02 - 43.94
Subtotal 2.28 13.44 12.25 28.96 14.83 11.39 4.82 15.55 2.88 0.11 2.12 0.10 108.72
32 Unclassified - - - - - - - - - - - 0.16 0.16
Unspecified conifers 0.18 0.05 - - - - - - - - - - 0.23
Unspecified hardwoods 0.04 0.06 0.01 0.04 0.26 - - - - - - - 0.42
Larch 0.01 0.02 0.12 0.34 0.13 0.07 0.01 - - 0.02 - - 0.72
Fir <0.01 0.11 0.23 0.86 0.59 0.05 0.03 - - - <0.01 - 1.88
Hemlock - 0.00 0.38 0.05 0.35 0.13 0.20 - 0.41 - 1.23 - 2.75
Other hardwoods - 0.10 0.76 0.39 0.03 1.56 0.08 - - - - - 2.93
Cedar & other conifers <0.01 0.18 1.17 0.89 0.33 0.60 - - - 0.00 1.06 - 4.24
Birch 0.05 1.25 1.20 1.33 0.43 0.79 0.08 - - - - - 5.12
Maple 0.10 0.62 1.33 3.37 1.89 1.11 0.14 - - - - - 8.57
Pine 0.18 0.80 2.19 1.11 8.33 0.69 0.93 0.83 0.11 - 0.21 - 15.39
Douglas-fir <0.01 0.10 0.27 0.23 1.08 2.44 1.91 3.24 0.59 2.28 7.08 - 19.22
Spruce 0.06 5.25 2.90 7.07 3.54 4.78 3.45 4.58 0.04 0.39 0.21 - 32.27
Poplar 2.69 7.98 9.97 8.17 8.17 3.63 0.97 0.67 - 0.83 - - 43.07
Subtotal 3.32 16.53 20.53 23.86 25.15 15.86 7.80 9.32 1.15 3.52 9.80 0.16 136.97
33 Unspecified hardwoods 0.08 0.26 0.35 - 0.03 0.03 - - - - - - 0.75
Unspecified conifers 0.21 1.05 0.05 0.03 <0.01 - - - - - - - 1.34
Unclassified 0.04 0.22 - - - - - - - - - 3.23 3.49
Other hardwoods <0.01 0.13 3.24 1.27 0.66 0.35 0.02 - 0.05 - 0.03 - 5.75
Birch 0.28 1.41 2.74 2.69 2.36 1.51 0.11 0.16 0.02 - - - 11.28
Larch 0.23 0.48 1.26 1.86 3.48 0.85 2.63 0.35 0.44 0.77 0.88 - 13.23
Maple 0.04 0.69 4.19 7.02 4.76 3.40 0.00 0.03 - - 0.07 - 20.20
Cedar & other conifers 0.02 2.00 0.56 0.15 2.12 1.71 2.18 0.89 0.39 0.58 33.10 - 43.70
Douglas-fir 0.05 1.55 5.20 9.02 10.02 20.71 12.76 11.84 2.54 4.33 6.82 - 84.83
Poplar 5.57 9.29 22.22 27.56 17.84 13.21 12.99 5.51 0.01 0.98 0.59 - 115.78
Pine 5.10 11.80 10.66 26.59 28.69 18.36 14.72 7.45 3.49 3.38 3.09 - 133.33
Hemlock 0.06 4.15 9.40 2.05 5.83 1.47 3.92 3.73 3.92 1.46 107.61 - 143.62
Fir 0.12 2.77 6.68 5.72 4.48 9.61 11.53 15.79 21.30 24.73 69.03 - 171.77
Spruce 2.45 21.71 18.25 42.22 39.43 23.50 48.64 25.00 9.73 4.17 64.90 0.00 300.00
Subtotal 14.25 57.51 84.81 126.18 119.68 94.72 109.51 70.76 41.89 40.41 286.12 3.23 1 049.08
40 Unspecified hardwoods 0.02 - 0.01 - - - - - - - - - 0.03
Other hardwoods - - - 0.01 - 0.03 - - - - - - 0.04
Unclassified - - - - - - - - - - - 0.25 0.25
Douglas-fir <0.01 - - - 0.12 0.39 - - - - - - 0.52
Unspecified conifers 0.01 0.45 0.14 - - - - - - - - - 0.59
Cedar & other conifers - 0.14 - - 0.07 0.09 - 0.06 - 0.06 1.48 - 1.90
Birch 0.35 0.60 0.67 0.42 0.49 - 0.02 0.61 - - - - 3.15
Fir 0.01 0.20 0.39 0.15 1.90 0.03 0.05 0.93 - - 0.79 - 4.45
Larch 0.02 0.32 1.30 1.65 1.45 0.53 1.04 0.65 - - 0.03 - 7.00
Pine 0.15 2.61 1.46 1.57 0.75 1.79 5.66 1.01 - - 0.28 - 15.28
Hemlock <0.01 0.11 0.56 - 0.03 - 0.54 0.51 0.61 0.34 33.58 - 36.27
Poplar 0.36 4.27 2.04 6.45 22.15 9.12 0.16 0.33 0.13 - - - 45.01
Spruce 0.43 3.03 11.22 19.28 27.79 214.07 67.27 22.39 4.61 3.23 7.52 - 380.84
Subtotal 1.36 11.72 17.78 29.53 54.74 226.06 74.73 26.49 5.35 3.64 43.68 0.25 495.32
50 Unclassified 1.25 1.69 0.01 <0.01 - - - - - - - 10.04 13.00
Larch 0.60 2.38 8.27 4.85 2.07 2.59 0.61 1.29 0.48 - 0.79 - 23.93
Unspecified hardwoods 8.25 11.50 9.99 2.16 3.72 0.10 - - - - - 0.00 35.73
Unspecified conifers 11.31 16.62 5.74 2.66 0.46 - - - - - - 0.02 36.80
Cedar & other conifers 1.10 4.00 15.37 15.46 11.93 8.19 2.92 1.57 0.21 0.11 13.21 - 74.07
Hemlock 0.13 6.77 6.79 16.21 13.71 4.39 2.26 1.79 1.19 0.25 22.82 - 76.32
Other hardwoods 0.80 6.17 19.55 30.13 17.99 3.58 0.42 0.01 - 0.34 0.36 - 79.34
Pine 2.39 13.73 20.51 26.34 19.66 7.97 6.46 4.24 0.43 0.25 0.62 <0.01 102.60
Birch 3.63 18.92 36.63 42.01 18.88 10.49 0.93 0.37 - - - - 131.85
Douglas-fir 0.52 7.72 28.61 30.62 21.72 26.45 35.82 8.81 5.60 4.82 14.87 - 185.57
Fir 5.21 38.94 77.47 61.40 20.59 4.42 1.86 0.25 - 1.48 0.40 - 212.02
Spruce 3.77 29.66 73.32 95.20 51.12 25.46 9.94 4.53 2.37 0.36 1.03 0.00 296.76
Poplar 16.38 76.65 125.49 142.05 89.55 36.25 14.50 4.42 0.64 2.91 1.71 0.00 510.54
Maple 5.65 23.29 174.08 189.59 136.77 39.19 7.00 1.58 0.40 - - 0.00 577.55
Subtotal 60.99 258.02 601.84 658.68 408.16 169.09 82.72 28.88 11.32 10.51 55.82 10.06 2 356.09
100 Unspecified hardwoods 0.35 0.20 0.19 0.01 0.14 0.00 - - - - - - 0.89
Unclassified 0.01 0.01 <0.01 0.07 <0.01 - - - - - - 0.85 0.95
Larch 0.04 0.08 0.30 0.46 0.38 0.07 0.15 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 - 0.00 1.49
Unspecified conifers 0.55 1.05 0.12 - - - - - - - - - 1.72
Other hardwoods <0.01 0.06 0.45 0.50 0.21 0.05 0.40 - - - 0.17 - 1.84
Cedar & other conifers 0.00 0.01 0.21 0.24 0.37 0.07 0.01 0.15 0.06 - 2.63 - 3.73
Maple <0.01 0.08 1.27 1.82 0.89 0.31 0.04 <0.01 <0.01 - - - 4.42
Hemlock 0.00 0.02 0.32 0.42 0.15 0.04 0.68 0.06 0.08 0.06 3.37 - 5.18
Douglas-fir 0.00 0.02 0.32 0.35 0.54 1.02 0.88 1.07 0.17 0.05 0.98 - 5.40
Birch 0.24 1.49 2.74 3.43 3.56 1.04 0.36 0.09 - - - - 12.94
Fir 0.10 1.53 3.17 1.73 4.54 0.50 0.87 0.22 0.18 0.18 1.60 <0.01 14.62
Pine 0.80 4.21 4.96 6.47 6.02 2.29 1.66 0.65 0.25 0.26 0.56 - 28.11
Poplar 1.34 2.66 6.45 9.48 10.98 5.49 1.90 0.88 0.20 0.17 0.46 - 40.02
Spruce 0.51 9.85 14.50 22.36 37.58 33.54 35.04 20.28 2.70 0.61 2.92 0.00 179.91
Subtotal 3.94 21.27 34.99 47.34 65.36 44.42 41.98 23.41 3.65 1.33 12.69 0.85 301.24
Canada Unspecified hardwoods 42.47 21.74 13.98 2.55 6.55 0.25 0.11 - - - - 0.00 87.65
Unclassified 4.03 3.57 0.15 0.28 0.14 0.16 0.08 0.12 0.03 - - 92.17 100.72
Other hardwoods 1.71 13.28 45.64 54.10 37.02 13.09 2.60 1.08 0.09 1.07 3.92 0.03 173.63
Unspecified conifers 70.25 81.79 18.55 4.37 0.89 - - - - - - 0.03 175.87
Larch 9.76 22.63 57.80 77.81 82.01 65.03 42.37 20.75 5.91 2.62 13.47 0.11 400.27
Cedar & other conifers 2.45 13.06 36.38 35.69 43.19 33.28 17.51 14.82 14.00 20.71 600.35 - 831.44
Birch 24.77 129.28 256.74 293.68 273.38 87.53 22.96 9.11 0.57 0.76 1.12 0.02 1 099.93
Douglas-fir 2.58 20.60 77.89 108.53 143.91 183.00 191.29 145.95 49.99 42.67 208.30 - 1 174.72
Maple 11.02 46.95 278.69 359.13 347.98 113.34 12.42 4.46 3.35 - 0.45 <0.01 1 177.78
Hemlock 6.01 42.08 85.41 81.05 86.69 44.66 49.17 29.24 38.98 23.58 1 186.53 - 1 673.41
Fir 25.31 181.38 300.00 276.16 309.40 157.30 165.20 157.73 145.90 108.12 735.70 0.03 2 562.24
Pine 80.81 336.87 348.58 568.26 601.53 491.45 425.75 242.25 103.04 45.32 108.72 0.03 3 352.61
Poplar 105.17 317.46 556.64 1 137.37 1 028.79 479.15 227.88 83.95 11.05 10.53 11.87 0.01 3 969.86
Spruce 57.17 421.82 1 049.55 1 784.27 2 053.85 3 579.22 2 502.47 1 223.06 305.06 119.70 636.83 0.51 13 733.52
Subtotal 443.50 1 652.53 3 125.99 4 783.22 5 015.34 5 247.48 3 659.80 1 932.52 677.97 375.09 3 507.27 92.94 30 513.66
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 Arctic ecozones (Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic), and the Taiga Plains and Hudson Plains ecozones located in Nunavut, are not inventoried. These non-inventoried areas total 262,189.89 thousand ha.
1 Missing or unknown age class.
Managed forest
Code Description
0 Not available
11 Long term volume or area based Crown timber dispositions
12 Short term volume or area based Crown timber dispositions
13 No current Crown timber dispostions
20 Legal protection status (IUCN class IA, IB, II, III, IV, V, VI equivalent)
31 Reserved by the Federal government for military or other purposes
32 Reserved by the Federal government under the Indian Act
33 Reserved or designated restricted use by provincial or territorial government
40 Aboriginal lands
50 Privately-owned lands
100 Water