Complementary allometric model of understory tree biomass in the semi-deciduous rainforest of Cameroon

Abstract

Forest understorey contains remarkable plant diversity, contributing to the heterogeneous environments for other biotic gatherings and soil supplement aggregations. Nonetheless, the biomass of the understorey vegetation is neglected because of the lack of appropriate allometric equations without which there are uncertainties in biomass estimation. This study was aimed at developing multispecies allometric equations that will be used to estimate the aboveground biomass of different compartments (trunk, crown, and leaves) of understorey trees in the semi-deciduous rainforest of Cameroon. Understorey tree diameter (1.0-10.0 cm), height, and crown diameter were measured on 1023 trees as biomass predictors. The results showed that the fit of the model improves with more predictive variables, four of which were considered in all studied compartments (trunk, crown, and leaves). Existing specific and pantropic allometries based on diameter tend to overestimate the aboveground biomass of understorey trees when compared to the allometry developed in this study. This study highlighted the importance of a specific aboveground biomass allometric equation for understorey trees. Furthermore, the multispecies allometric equation developed for understorey trees complements those recently developed for overstorey trees, thereby contributing to the total aboveground woody biomass estimation in semi-deciduous forest in the Congo Basin.