Allometric biomass estimations for Senegalia mellifera and Vachellia reficiens

Abstract

A well established tool that is able to provide a detailed estimation of the leaf and wood biomass of woody plants is the third version of the Biomass Estimate from Canopy Volume (BECVOL3) model. An Excel-based biomass quantification tool is also available for the quantification of wood biomass. These models use allometric regression equations developed from harvested woody plants. The objective of this study was to develop additional allometric regression equations from harvested, undamaged Vachellia reficiens and Senegalia mellifera plants, relating spatial canopy volume to above-ground leaf and wood biomass. Both of these woody species are very important woody species in northern Namibia and are the most sought-after for charcoal production. Individual trees from both species were harvested and the leaves and woody component separated. Shoots and stems were sorted into three diameter classes (< 0.5 cm, > 0.5–20 cm, and > 20 cm). The materials were dried and weighed, and the volume of the leaves was also determined. Plant dry mass fractions and leaf volume were used as dependent variables and spatial canopy volume as independent variables in a regression analysis. The exponential and multiplicative curvilinear regression models had the highest correlation coefficients with highly significant (p < 0.001) regression equations.