Evaluating a simple radiation/dry matter conversion model using data from Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Western Australia

Abstract

A simple model that describes growth in terms of physical and physiological processes is needed to predict growth rates and hence the productivity of trees at particular sites. The linear relationship expected between absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (φ(pa) MJ m-2) and dry mass production (G(t)); i.e., G(t) = εφ(pa), where ε is the radiation utilization coefficient, was fitted to three years' data from five Western Australian Eucalyptus globulus Labill, plantations for which monthly growth measurements, leaf area indices, weather data and soil water measurements were available. Reductions in growth efficiency relative to absorbed photosynthetically active radiation were associated with high vapor pressure deficits (D, kPa) so the relationship between monthly aboveground biomass increments and D was used to calculate utilizable φ(pa). Plotting cumulative aboveground growth against utilizable φ(pa) gave strong linear relationships with slope ε. Values of ε ranged from 0.93 to 2.23 g dry mass MJ-1 φ(pa). The variation could not be explained either in terms of soil water content in the root zones, because all plantations appeared to have access to groundwater, or in terms of soil chemistry. A value of ε = 2.2 is considered near the maximum likely to be applicable to Eucalyptus plantations. An interesting peripheral finding was a strong relationship between allometric ratios and soil phosphorus; this, if confirmed elsewhere, will be of considerable value in converting biomass increments to wood production. There was also a strong negative relationship between the average ratio of leaf/total aboveground biomass and soil nitrogen content.