Allometric Models to Estimate Aboveground Biomass of Individual Trees of <i>Eucalyptus saligna</i> Sm in Young Plantations in Ecuador

Allometric Models to Estimate Aboveground Biomass of Individual Trees of <i>Eucalyptus saligna</i> Sm in Young Plantations in Ecuador

(1) Background: Nature-based solutions (NbS), particularly through forest biomass, are crucial in mitigating climate change. While forest plantations play a critical role in carbon capture, the absence of species-specific biomass estimation models presents a significant challenge. This research focu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Raúl Ramos-Veintimilla, Hernán J. Andrade, Roy Vera-Velez, José Esparza-Parra, Pedro Panama-Perugachi, Milena Segura, Jorge Grijalva-Olmedo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:International Journal of Plant Biology
Subjects:
destructive sampling
linear regression model
adjustment
component models
data science
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/16/2/39
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Summary:(1) Background: Nature-based solutions (NbS), particularly through forest biomass, are crucial in mitigating climate change. While forest plantations play a critical role in carbon capture, the absence of species-specific biomass estimation models presents a significant challenge. This research focuses on developing allometric models to accurately estimate the aboveground biomass of <i>Eucalyptus saligna</i> Sm in Ecuador’s Lower Montane thorny steppe. (2) Methods: Conducted at the Tunshi Experimental Station of ESPOCH in Chimborazo, Ecuador, the research involved 46 trees to formulate biomass predictive models using both destructive and non-destructive methods. Sixteen generic models were tested using the ordinary least squares method. (3) Results: The most effective allometric equation for estimating six-year-old <i>E. saligna</i> biomass was Ln(B) = −0.952 + 1.97∗Ln(dbh), where B = biomass in kg/tree, and dbh = diameter at breast height in cm. This model represents a valuable contribution to improve biomass and carbon estimates in mitigation projects in Ecuador. (4) Conclusions: The tested models stand out for their simplicity, requiring only dbh as input, and demonstrate high accuracy and fit to contribute to the field of climate change mitigation.
ISSN:2037-0164

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