TY - JOUR
T1 - Estimating Above-Round Biomass and Carbon Stocks of Prosopis juliflora using Allometric
Equations in Drylands of Magadi, Kenya
AU - Kyuma, R.K. AU - Wahome, R.G. AU - Kinama, J.M. AU - Wasonga, V.O.
JO - Environmental Research Journal
VL - 13
IS - 4
SP - 88
EP - 97
PY - 2019
DA - 2001/08/19
SN - 1994-5396
DO - erj.2019.88.97
UR - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=erj.2019.88.97
KW - Prosopis
KW -allometric equations
KW -biomass
KW -carbon stocks
KW -moderately
AB - Above-ground biomass and carbon stocks of
Prosopis juliflora were estimated using allometric
equations in floodplains and hillslopes landscapes of the
drylands of Magadi in Kajiado, Kenya. Three hundred
and twenty Prosopis trees were sampled, out of which one
hundred and twenty eight were randomly selected and
used for the development of the allometric equations.
Basal diameter, diameter at breast height, crown width
and tree heights were measured; and their fresh weights
taken for the development of Prosopis biomass prediction
models. Cubic and power models yielded better results
than linear models in biomass prediction with basal
diameter being more reliable than diameter at breast
height, crown width and height. Cubic curvilinear and
power models for biomass prediction returned the better
R2 values (0.82 and 0.98) for single and multistemmed
Prosopis trees respectively. Validation of models revealed
significant correlation between predicted and measured
tree biomass, suggesting effectiveness of the models in
biomass predictions. The dense and managed plots in
the hilllslopes had the highest Prosopis biomass
(44.13 tons ha–1) followed by dense and unmanaged plots
(43.68 tons ha–1). The dense and unmanaged plots of the
floodplains had lower estimates (34.15 tons ha–1)
followed by dense and managed (28.01 tons ha–1). The
moderately and sparsely dense plots in both landscapes
recorded lower biomass (18.75 and 3.47 tons ha–1 in
hillslopes and 12.72 and 5.09 tons ha–1 in floodplains).
The effects of management were not significant in both
the hillslopes and floodplains. There was growth in the
Prosopis biomass trends in the dense and unmanaged
Prosopis clusters but there was no change of in the
moderately dense and the sparsely dense clusters during
the period of study. There were insignificant differences
in biomass productivity between the dense managed
Prosopis plots and the dense unmanaged prosopis plots
in the hillslope landscape, although, the biomass in the
dense managed plots were consistently higher than in the
unmanaged. In the floodplains landscape, the biomass for
the dense managed Prosopis plots was consistently lower
than the dense unmanaged Prosopis plots but the
differences were also insignificant. Further studies were
recommended with longer time frames of observations
to assess the effect of management on biomass
production.
ER -