Allometric models for non-destructive estimation of dry biomass and leaf area in Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss (Meliaceae), Pterocarpus erinaceus Pear. (Fabaceae) and Parkia biglobosa, Jack, R. Br. (Fabaceae)

• Published in: Trees (Berlin, West) West), 2021-12, Vol.35, p.1905-1920
• Main Authors: Adji, Beda Innocent, Akaffou, Doffou Sélastique, Kouassi, Kouadio Henri, Houphouet, Yao Patrice, de Reffye, Philippe, Duminil, Jerôme, Sabatier, Sylvie-Annabel, Jaeger, Marc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Biodiversity and Ecology; Botanics; Ecology, environment; Ecosystems; Environmental Sciences; Life Sciences; Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy; Vegetal Biology
• ISSN: 0931-1890; 1432-2285
• DOI: 10.1007/s00468-021-02159-y

Organ biomass and leaf area are important parameters in plant physiology and production. They are used in structural and functional plant models to simulate tree architecture, but are difficult to determine quickly. Stem (length and internode diameter) and leaf (length and width) dimensions for their estimation provide a non-destructive and rapid field approach. This method has been applied on Khaya senegalensis, Pterocarpus erinaceus and Parkia biglobosa in Côte d'Ivoire. Internodes and leaves of the three species were sampled in 2019 and 2020 on three categories of axis in the architecture of individuals of different ages to maximise the variability of their size. All statistical relationships of the linear models found for the estimation of organ dry and fresh biomass and leaf area were significant for all three species (P  = 0.001). A single equation was sufficient to estimate the dry (IDM) and fresh (IFM) biomass of the internodes, the dry (LDM) and fresh (LFM) biomass of the leaves and the leaf area (LA) from the dimensions of the internodes (Volume: VL) and leaves (Number of primary leaflets: NLt, length: LLtL and width: LLtW of the largest primary leaflet, number of secondary leaflets: NSeLt, length: LSeLtL and width: LSeLtW of the largest secondary leaflet). The relationship between the estimates and organ dimensions were defined by the following linear equations: IDM = 0.45 × VL + 0.02, LDM = 0.004 × NLt × LtL × LtW + 0.07 and LA = 0.83 × NLt × LtL × LtW for Khaya senegalensis; IDM = 0.33 × VL + 0.38, LDM = 0.4 × NLt × LtL × LtW − 0.64 and LA = 0.74 × NLt × LtL × LtW + 0.15 for Pterocarpus erinaceus then IDM = 0.47 × VL + 0.44, LDM = 0.44 × NSeLt × LSeLtL × LSeLtW × NLt + 0.94 and LA = 0.13 × NSeLt × LSeLtL × LSeLtW × NLt + 14.64 for Parkia biglobosa. This method can be applied to estimate the organ biomass and LA of species of the same family as the target species in an agroforestry system.