INVESTIGADORES
CONTI georgina
artículos
Título:
Shrub biomass estimation in the semiarid Chaco forest: a contribution to the quantification of an underrated carbon stock
Autor/es:
GEORGINA CONTI; LUCAS ENRICO; FERNANDO CASANOVES; SANDRA DÍAZ
Revista:
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE (PRINT)
Editorial:
EDP SCIENCES S A
Referencias:
Lugar: Paris; Año: 2013 vol. 70 p. 515 - 524
ISSN:
1286-4560
Resumen:
Context: The quantification of biomass of woody plants is
at the basis of calculations of forest biomass and carbon
stocks. Although there are well-developed allometric
models for trees, they do not apply well to shrubs, and
shrub-specific allometric models are scarce. There is therefore
a need for a standardized methodology to quantify
biomass and carbon stocks in open forests and woodlands.
Aims: To develop species-specific biomass estimation
models for common shrubs, as well as a multispecies shrub
model, for the subtropical semiarid Chaco forest of central
Argentina.
Methods: Eight shrub species (Acacia aroma, Acacia
gilliesii, Aloysia gratissima, Capparis atamisquea, Celtis
ehrenbergiana, Larrea divaricata, Mimozyganthus
carinatus, and Moya spinosa) were selected, and, on average,
30 individuals per species were harvested. Their total
individual dry biomass was related with morphometric variables
using regression analysis.
Results: Crown area as well as crown-shaped variables
proved to be the variables with the best performance for
both species-specific and multispecies shrub models. These
allometric variables are thus recommended for standardized
shrub biomass assessments.
Conclusion: By accounting for the shrub component of the
vegetation, our models provide a way to improve the quantification
of biomass and carbon in semiarid open forest and
woodlands.