Biomass and carbon prediction in clonal plantations of Tectona grandis L.f.

Abstract

Mathematical models for biomass and carbon prediction are currently options that facilitate and improves the calculation of the climate change mitigation capacity of an ecosystem, by generating essential information to establish national carbon storage indices. The objective of the study was to evaluate the biomass of the different tree elements (leaves, branches, stem, root) through destructive and indirect methods, to construct predictive biomass and carbon models. The models were developed using the method of ordinary least squares, using the normal diameter as the regressor variable. These equations explained more than 94 % of the variability observed in biomass or carbon, with errors of estimates below 5 %. The stem contributed with 57.4 % to the tree total biomass , and the leaves contributed with 5 %. The carbon fraction was very similar among the woody components (branches -stem-root), which varied from 44.9 % to 45.7 % and in the leaves it reached 40.7 %.