Estimating the wood volume and aboveground biomass of Pinus brutia Ten. in Kfardabeel afforestation site, Jableh region

Abstract

This study aimed at estimating the wet above-ground biomass and wood volume of Pinus brutia Ten. in planted forest of Kfardabeel, Jableh region, for obtaining a database that is used as a basis for site management plans by finding a mathematical model that allows estimating these parameters based on the diameter of the tree.

In the summer of 2019, 20 square samples were taken, with an area of 3600 m² each, distributed randomly over the entire site, which has an area of 114 h. The diameter at breast height (dbh) for all trees in the studied samples were measured, the measured trees were distributed in the appropriate diameter classes. Ten trees were chosen (covering all diameter classes), cut and weighed in order to estimate the biomass, woody volume and form factor of these trees and then used to form the mathematical models needed to estimate the biomass and wood volume at the sample level.

The biomass estimation results showed high values ​​of the coefficient of determination for the selected exponential models, where its value was  R²=0.99, the average value of the above-ground biomass for Brutia pine was 224.6 ton/h, the value of the average wood volume of trees stems was 179.1 m³/h and the basal area was 26.5 m²/h, The value of mean annual increment was 4 m³/h/year, and the average value of the form factor was 0.49, at an age of 45 years and a tree density of 1232 tree/h.

Exponential mathematical models can be used to estimate the aboveground biomass of Brutia pine at the studied site. The use of these models helps to reduce time, effort, and cost, and to adopt the results in the forest management plans.