Journal
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
Volume 96, Issue -, Pages 64-72Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2013.04.007
Keywords
Aboveground woody biomass; Acacia species; Allometric equations; Bush; Carbon sequestration; Rangeland; Regression models; Savanna
Categories
Funding
- Dr. Hermann Eiselen PhD grant (Foundation fiat panis)
- DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship in the frame of the Food Security Center of the University of Hohenheim
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Species-specific allometric models were developed to predict aboveground biomass (AGB) of eight woody species in the Borana rangelands, Ethiopia. The 23 equations developed (8 species; three biomass components: total aboveground, stem, and branches) fit the data well to predict total AGB and by components for each of the species (r(2) > 0.70; p < 0.001). The AGB of tree shaped species (e.g., Acacia bussei and Acacia etabaica) were significantly predicted from a single predictor (circumference of the stem at ankle height), with a high coefficient of determination (r(2) > 0.95; p < 0.001). In contrast, the AGB of bushy shrubs (e.g., Acacia oerfota) was more effectively predicted by using the canopy volume (r(2) = 0.84; p < 0.001). Shrubs with a tall stem and an umbrella-like canopy structure (e.g., Acacia mellifera) were most accurately predicted by a combination of both circumference of the stem at ankle height and canopy volume (r(2) = 0.95; p < 0.001). Hence, our species-specific allometric models could accurately estimate their woody aboveground biomass in a semi-arid savanna ecosystem of southern Ethiopia. These equations will help in future carbon-trade discussions in times of climate change and CO2 emission concerns and mitigation strategies. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available