Biomass retention and carbon stocks in integrated vegetation bands: a case study of mixed-age brigalow-eucalypt woodland in southern Queensland, Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin G. Ryan ◽  
Christine T. Fyfe ◽  
Clive A. McAlpine
Keyword(s):  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Soil Protection ◽  
Grazing Land ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Eucalypt Woodland ◽  
Pasture Area ◽  
The Impact

Regrowth of native woody vegetation has the potential to provide an economically valuable source of carbon storage and other ecosystem services. There is a lack of readily applicable examples of how regrowth of forests and woodlands can be integrated with existing grazing production systems and provide soil-protection and water-retention benefits. A system of integrated vegetation bands (IVB) was applied to patchy regrowth of acacia and eucalypt vegetation in a grazed landscape of southern Queensland, Australia. Across a 39.8-ha catchment with 3–5% slope, regrowth of scattered native vegetation (18.4 ha) was surveyed and diameter at breast height and height for all woody plants were recorded. The IVB (6.3 ha) were then marked out as 25-m-wide bands set 100 m apart and offset at ~2–3% gradient to the contour line, retaining the densest/largest regrowth where possible. The data on diameter at breast height and height were analysed using allometric equations to compare aboveground biomass in the original regrowth condition (‘Original’) to that retained in the installed IVB (‘IVB-Riparian’). Estimates of aboveground biomass were calculated for the Original and IVB-Riparian and compared with three other potential regrowth-vegetation management ‘treatments’ in a desktop-modelling study. The models were designated as: (1) ‘Original’; (2) ‘Broad’ (broad-scale cleared with only a few large trees along a creek retained)’; (3) ‘Big Trees’ (only large trees >40 cm diameter at breast height retained); (4) ‘Riparian-IVB (bands of vegetation); and (5) ‘Riparian-IVB-Big Trees’ (large trees together with ‘IVB-Riparian’). In the non-forested area of the catchment, ‘Riparian-IVB-Big Trees’ (301 t), ‘Big Trees’ (249 t) and ‘Riparian-IVB’ (200 t) had the highest aboveground biomass retained, whereas ‘Broad’ resulted in the most pasture area (~33 ha) followed by ‘Riparian-IVB’ (~26 ha). The ‘Riparian-IVB’ treatment had the highest tree density within the vegetation bands and more than half (53%) of the original woody biomass in regrowth was retained on just under a quarter (23%) of the land area minimising the impact on the area of pasture/grazing land. This subsequently resulted in the ‘Riparian-IVB’ treatment having the highest carbon offset value (A$605 ha–1). The results demonstrate that the retention of native regrowth vegetation in either IVB or as large paddock trees can retain a large amount of aboveground biomass, with IVB having greater returns per hectare.

scholarly journals Nesting habitat selection of Mediterranean raptors in managed pinewoods: searching for common patterns to derive conservation recommendations

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAFAEL BARRIENTOS ◽  
BERNARDO ARROYO
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Nesting Habitat ◽  
Random Factor ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Heterogeneous Habitats ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Generalised Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Selection Of

SummaryInvestigating habitat selection is a key step in improving the population conservation of forest species in areas managed for different purposes, from timber harvesting to hunting or recreation. Because economic resources allocated to conservation are limited, studies that assess cost-effective strategies are necessary, especially when concerning non-threatened species. We studied nest-site habitat selection of two raptor communities (totalling 245 nests from the five most common species: Short-Toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, Sparrowhawk A. nisus, Common Buzzard Buteo buteo and Booted Eagle Aquila pennata) in two pinewoods in central Spain separated by 200 km. Using a Generalised Linear Mixed Model for each species and with locality as a random factor, we obtained five models of habitat selection. We highlighted the common nesting patterns in order to facilitate an integrated management of forestry in relation to raptor nesting habitat selection. The most important variable for all species, with the exception of the Sparrowhawk was the nest-tree diameter at breast height, with raptors preferentially selecting nesting trees of large width. Tall trees and a high amount of tree cover around the nesting tree were also important habitat features for several species. Our results suggest that pinewoods should retain unharvested patches with moderate tree coverage (30–70%) containing not only several large trees (diameter at breast height > 40 cm) but also small ones. At the landscape level, open forests and heterogeneous habitats are preferred. These forest patches should be dispersed throughout the landscape.

scholarly journals The impact of long dry periods on the aboveground biomass in tropical forests: 20 years of monitoring

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milton Serpa de Meira-Junior ◽  
José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto ◽  
Natália Oliveira Ramos ◽  
Eder Pereira Miguel ◽  
Ricardo de Oliveira Gaspar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Biomass Carbon ◽  
Neotropical Forests ◽  
Aboveground Carbon ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Long-term studies of community and population dynamics indicate that abrupt disturbances often catalyse changes in vegetation and carbon stocks. These disturbances include the opening of clearings, flooding, rainfall seasonality, and drought, as well as fire and direct human disturbance. Such events may be super-imposed on longer-term trends in disturbance, such as those associated with climate change (heating, drying), as well as resources. Intact neotropical forests have recently experienced increased drought frequency and fire, on top of pervasive increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but we lack long-term records of responses to such changes especially in the critical transitional areas at the interface of forest and savanna biomes. Here, we present results from 20 years monitoring a valley forest (moist tropical forest outlier) in central Brazil. The forest has experienced multiple drought events and includes plots which have and which have not experienced fire. We focus on how forest structure (stem density and aboveground biomass carbon) and dynamics (stem and biomass mortality and recruitment) have responded to these disturbance regimes. ResultsOverall, the biomass carbon stock increased due to the growth of the trees already present in the forest, without any increase in the overall number of tree stems. Over time, both recruitment and especially mortality of trees tended to increase, and periods of prolonged drought in particular resulted in increased mortality rates of larger trees. This increased mortality was in turn responsible for a decline in aboveground carbon toward the end of the monitoring period. Fire in 2010, which occurred in only some of our plots, tended to exacerbate the trends of increasing mortality and losses of biomass carbon. Conclusion Prolonged droughts influence the mortality of large trees, leading to a decline in aboveground carbon stocks. Here, and in other neotropical forests, recent droughts are capable of shutting down and reversing biomass carbon sinks. These new results add to evidence that anthropogenic climate changes are already adversely impacting tropical forests.

scholarly journals BIOMASS EQUATIONS FOR CAATINGA SPECIES

Nativa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 517
Author(s):  
Mayara Dalla Lana ◽  
Rinaldo Luiz Caraciolo Ferreira ◽  
José Antônio Aleixo da Silva ◽  
Gustavo Pereira Duda ◽  
Carlos Frederico Lins e Silva Brandão ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Good Precision ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Total Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Biomass Equations ◽  
Statistical Criteria ◽  
Aspidosperma Pyrifolium ◽  
Mimosa Tenuiflora

EQUAÇÕES DE BIOMASSA PARA ESPÉCIES DA CAATINGA O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar as proporções de fuste, galhos e folhas em relação a biomassa total seca acima do solo e ajustar modelos estatísticos para estimativa da biomassa das principais espécies arbustivo-arbóreas em uma área de Caatinga. O número de indivíduos abatidos e com a biomassa aérea total determinada foi de 15 para Anadenanthera colubrina, Aspidosperma pyrifolium, Cnidoscolus quercifolius, Mimosa ophthalmocentra, Mimosa tenuiflora, Poincianella bracteosa e, de 30 para Bauhinia cheilantha e Croton heliotropiifolius. Para ajuste dos modelos foram utilizados os dados de biomassa total seca acima do solo coletados como variável dependente e as variáveis independentes foram o diâmetro à altura do peito e a altura total dos indivíduos por espécie. Foram testados oito modelos para cada uma das espécies e para todas as espécies agrupadas. Para a seleção da melhor equação utilizou-se os tradicionais critérios estatísticos. As proporções de biomassa das espécies foram quantificadas, tanto para os seus compartimentos, quanto para o total e apresentaram uma grande variação entre espécies e indivíduos da mesma espécie. Equações de biomassa aérea seca foram ajustadas com boas estatísticas de precisão, podendo ser utilizadas para a sua estimativa de biomassa de maneira confiável em regiões de Caatinga.Palavras-chave: Análise de regressão, diâmetro à altura do peito, altura total. ABSTRACT:The objective of this work was to determine the proportions of stem, branches and leaves in relation to total dry aboveground biomass and adjust statistical models to estimate the biomass of the main species in an area of Caatinga. The number of trees cut and with the determined total aboveground biomass was 15 for Anadenanthera colubrina, Aspidosperma pyrifolium, Cnidoscolus quercifolius, Mimosa ophthalmocentra, Mimosa tenuiflora, and Poincianella bracteosa, and 30 for Bauhinia cheilantha and Croton heliotropiifolius. The data of total dry aboveground biomass were used as dependent variables and the diameter at breast height and total height of individuals per species were used as the independent variables for adjusting the models. Eight models were tested for each species and for all grouped species. Traditional statistical criteria was used for selecting the best equation. The proportions of the species were quantified for both their biomass compartments and for the total biomass, showing great variation between species and individuals of the same species. Dry aboveground biomass equations were developed with good precision statistics and can therefore be used for estimating biomass in Caatinga regions.Keywords: Regression analysis, diameter at breast height, total height.

Modeling of aboveground tree stand-level biomass in Erukot Forest of Oban Division, Cross River National Park, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S.E. Bassey ◽  
S. Ajayi
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
National Park ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Stand ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Total Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Dry Biomass ◽  
Individual Trees

This research estimated aboveground tree stand level Biomass in Erukot Forest of Oban Division, Cross River National Park. A total of 872 individual trees were identified and measured for diameter at breast height and total height (dbh ≥ 5cm). The 872 individual trees spread across 51 species belonging to 25 different tree families. Simple random sampling was used with sampling intensity of 0.3% to lay 15 nested plots (7m x 7m, 25m x 25m and 35m x 35m). Diameter at breast height, total height and specific density of each wood species were used to determine aboveground biomass for each tree. Conversion factors were applied to estimate stand level green and dry biomass, sequestered carbon and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the study area. Simple linear regression models were fitted into the stand level growth data for the forest (basal area and volume). The mean diameter at breast height and mean total height were 38.5cm and 18.5m respectively. Mean basal area of 39.8 m2 ha-1 was obtained with a mean volume of 177.3 m3 ha-1 . Average green biomass, dry biomass, carbon stock and carbon-dioxide emission of 521.8113 ton ha-1 , 341.5880 ton ha-1 , 183.196 ton ha-1 and 694.2067 ton ha-1 respectively were obtained in the study area. Stand level biomass model developed for the forest showed that common logarithm of volume per hectare is significantly related to common logarithm of stand biomass (R2 = 58%). The actual and predicted biomasses were not significantly different (Paired T-test at p ˂ 0.05). Estimated bias of 0.10% for the stand biomass model means that the developed model can be used to predict the aboveground biomass of the study area without any adjustment. The research has provided easy to use regression model for determining aboveground biomass at stand level. This is very useful for carbon trade and assessment of carbon-dioxide emissions through deforestation in the study area. The model is also a tool for assessing the wood productivity of the study area and for better management of the park. Keyword: Sequestered carbon, aboveground biomass, dry biomass, conversion factor

Effects of two silvicultural regimes with large tree retention on epiphytic macrolichen communities in Adirondack northern hardwoods, New York, USA

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1854-1866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather T. Root ◽  
Gregory G. McGee ◽  
Ralph D. Nyland
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Epiphytic Lichen ◽  
Tree Diameter ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Lichen Community ◽  
Selection Systems ◽  
Large Trees

We sampled epiphytic lichen communities in nine Adirondack northern hardwood stands: three old growth, three reserve shelterwood, and three single-tree selection systems. Our objectives were to assess the effects of treatment, tree diameter at breast height, and their interaction on lichen communities and to determine whether lichen traits were associated with particular habitats. Lichen community composition was strongly related to tree diameter at breast height and differed between old growth and reserve shelterwoods. Lichen community composition was also related to an interaction between tree size and stand type. Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. was associated with large trees in old growth, whereas Evernia mesomorpha Nyl., Parmelia sulcata Taylor, and Physcia millegrana Degel. characterized those in shelterwood stands. Nitrophilous lichens were most common on small trees and in reserve shelterwoods, whereas small trees in selection systems and old growth supported lichens that were found to be most associated with larger trees overall. Selection systems apparently maintained lichen communities indistinguishable from those in old growth or reserve shelterwood. Because large trees hosted unique epiphyte assemblages particularly rich in fruticose and cyanolichen species, we expect that management retaining few or no large trees will alter epiphytic lichen communities.

scholarly journals The impact of long dry periods on the aboveground biomass in tropical forests: 20 years of monitoring

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milton Serpa de Meira-Junior ◽  
José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto ◽  
Natália Oliveira Ramos ◽  
Eder Pereira Miguel ◽  
Ricardo de Oliveira Gaspar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Biomass Carbon ◽  
Neotropical Forests ◽  
Aboveground Carbon ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Long-term studies of community and population dynamics indicate that abrupt disturbances often catalyse changes in vegetation and carbon stocks. These disturbances include the opening of clearings, flooding, rainfall seasonality, and drought, as well as fire and direct human disturbance. Such events may be super-imposed on longer-term trends in disturbance, such as those associated with climate change (heating, drying), as well as resources. Intact neotropical forests have recently experienced increased drought frequency and fire, on top of pervasive increases in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, but we lack long-term records of responses to such changes especially in the critical transitional areas at the interface of forest and savanna biomes. Here, we present results from 20 years monitoring a valley forest (moist tropical forest outlier) in central Brazil. The forest has experienced multiple drought events and includes plots which have and which have not experienced fire. We focus on how forest structure (stem density and aboveground biomass carbon) and dynamics (stem and biomass mortality and recruitment) have responded to these disturbance regimes. Results Overall, the biomass carbon stock increased due to the growth of the trees already present in the forest, without any increase in the overall number of tree stems. Over time, both recruitment and especially mortality of trees tended to increase, and periods of prolonged drought in particular resulted in increased mortality rates of larger trees. This increased mortality was in turn responsible for a decline in aboveground carbon toward the end of the monitoring period. Fire in 2010, which occurred in only some of our plots, tended to exacerbate the trends of increasing mortality and losses of biomass carbon. Conclusion Prolonged droughts influence the mortality of large trees, leading to a decline in aboveground carbon stocks. Here, and in other neotropical forests, recent droughts are capable of shutting down and reversing biomass carbon sinks. These new results add to evidence that anthropogenic climate changes are already adversely impacting tropical forests.

Validating the Malheur model for predicting ponderosa pine post-fire mortality using 24 fires in the Pacific Northwest, USA

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter G. Thies ◽  
Douglas J. Westlind
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Correct Prediction ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Similar Accuracy

Fires, whether intentionally or accidentally set, commonly occur in western interior forests of the US. Following fire, managers need the ability to predict mortality of individual trees based on easily observed characteristics. Previously, a two-factor model using crown scorch and bole scorch proportions was developed with data from 3415 trees for predicting the probability of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) mortality following prescribed fire. Here, we report validation of that model for broader application using data from 10 109 ponderosa pines in 17 prescribed fires and 7 wildfires, observed for 3 years post-fire, from east of the Cascade Range crest in Washington, Oregon and northern California. The overall rate of correct classification was 87.1% and the rate of correctly predicting mortality was 80.1%. Similar accuracy is reported when testing the model for small trees (<53.3-cm diameter at breast height), wildfire, prescribed fire, and when using a field guide that simplifies application of the model. For large trees (≥53.3-cm diameter at breast height), the overall rate of correct prediction was 93.6% and the rate of correctly predicting mortality was 65.2%. These results suggest the Malheur model is useful for predicting ponderosa pine mortality following fires in this region.

scholarly journals The Influence of Cross-Section Thickness on Diameter at Breast Height Estimation from Point Cloud

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 495
Author(s):  
Milan Koreň ◽  
Milan Hunčaga ◽  
Juliana Chudá ◽  
Martin Mokroš ◽  
Peter Surový
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Point Cloud ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Estimation Accuracy ◽  
Circle Fitting ◽  
Section Thickness ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
The Impact

Circle-fitting methods are commonly used to estimate diameter at breast height (DBH) of trees from horizontal cross-section of point clouds. In this paper, we addressed the problem of cross-section thickness optimization regarding DBH estimation bias and accuracy. DBH of 121 European beeches (Fagus sylvatica L.) and 43 Sessile oaks (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) was estimated from cross-sections with thicknesses ranging from 1 to 100 cm. The impact of cross-section thickness on the bias, standard error, and accuracy of DBH estimation was statistically significant. However, the biases, standard errors, and accuracies of DBH estimation were not significantly different among 1–10-cm cross-sections, except for oak DBH estimation accuracy from an 8-cm cross-section. DBH estimations from 10–100-cm cross-sections were considerably different. These results provide insight to the influence of cross-section thickness on DBH estimation by circle-fitting methods, which is beneficial for point cloud data acquisition planning and processing. The optimal setting of cross-section thickness facilitates point cloud processing and DBH estimation by circle-fitting algorithms.

Retransformation bias in a stem profile model

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1623-1630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond L. Czaplewski ◽  
David Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Regression Model ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Profile Model ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Large Trees

An unbiased profile model, fit to diameter divided by diameter at breast height, overestimated volume of 5.3-m log sections by 0.5 to 3.5%. Another unbiased profile model, fit to squared diameter divided by squared diameter at breast height, underestimated bole diameters by 0.2 to 2.1%. These biases are caused by retransformation of the predicted dependent variable; the degree of retransformation bias depends upon choice of dependent variable in the regression model, variance of its prediction errors, and the bole position of the desired prediction. Retransformation biases were greatest near the merchantable top of large trees. Equations are given that reduce the magnitude of these biases, but accurate variance models are required. Additional biases are identified for more complex transformations of stem profile models.

scholarly journals Allometric Equations for Estimating Aboveground Biomass of Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake in East Nusa Tenggara

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
R Sadono ◽  
◽  
W Wahyu ◽  
F Idris
Keyword(s):  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Allometric Equation ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Eucalyptus Urophylla ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantation ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height

Understanding the essential contribution of eucalyptus plantation for industry development and climate change mitigation requires the accurate quantification of aboveground biomass at the individual tree species level. However, the direct measurement of aboveground biomass by destructive method is high cost and time consuming. Therefore, developing allometric equations is necessary to facilitate this effort. This study was designed to construct the specific allometric models for estimating aboveground biomass of Eucalyptus urophylla in East Nusa Tenggara. Forty two sample trees were utilized to develop allometric equations using regression analysis. Several parameters were selected as predictor variables, i.e. diameter at breast height (D), quadrat diameter at breast height combined with tree height (D2H), as well as D and H separately. Results showed that the mean aboveground biomass of E. urophylla was 143.9 ± 19.44 kg tree-1. The highest biomass were noted in stem (80.06%), followed by bark (11.89%), branch (4.69%), and foliage (3.36%). The relative contribution of stem to total aboveground biomass improved with the increasing of diameter class while the opposite trend was recorded in bark, branch, and foliage. The equation lnŶ = lna + b lnD was best and reliable for estimating the aboveground biomass of E. urophylla since it provided the highest accurate estimation (91.3%) and more practical than other models. Referring to these findings, this study concluded the use of allometric equation was reliable to support more efficient forest mensuration in E. urophylla plantation.

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