Biomass of shrub-dominated wetlands in Minnesota.

Salix was dominant in most wetlands, although a few were dominated by Alnus rugosa and Betula pumila. Shrub biomass ranged from 0.5-71.5 Mg ha^-1 (mean 11.2 Mg ha^-1). Biomass was distributed lognormally among wetlands, with a geometric mean of 6.9 Mg ha^-1. Biomass estimates within wetlands had high uncertainty because of both clumpy distribution and large differences in size of shrubs. Some 80% of stands were on organic soils (Histosols), with 2/3 on minerotrophic and the remainder on weaky minerotrophic peatlands. Relationships of biomass to basal area and age were statistically significant. Biomass of the shrubs in wetlands was c4-fold greater than that in mature forests in the area, but only slightly >5% of total biomass in those forests.- from Authors