Estimation of biomass and carbon stocks: the case of the Atlantic Forest

Author(s):Show less -

Simone Aparecida Vieira ^[1] ; Luciana Ferreira Alves ^[2] ; Marcos Aidar ^[3] ; Luciana Spinelli Araújo ^[4] ; Tim Baker ^[5] ; João Luís Ferreira Batista ^[6] ; Mariana Cruz Campos ^[7] ; Plinio Barbosa Camargo ^[8] ; Jerome Chave ^[9] ; Welington Braz Carvalho Delitti ^[10] ; Niro Higuchi ^[11] ; Euridice Honorio ^[12] ; Carlos Alfredo Joly ^[13] ; Michael Keller ; Luiz Antonio Martinelli ^[15] ; Eduardo Arcoverde de Mattos ^[16] ; Thiago Metzker ^[17] ; Oliver Phillips ^[18] ; Flavio Antonio Maes dos Santos ^[19] ; Mônica Takako Shimabukuro ^[20] ; Marcos Silveira ^[21] ; Susan Elizabeth Trumbore ^[22]

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura. Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica - Brasil

^[2] Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Seção de Ecologia

^[3] Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Seção de Ecologia

^[4] Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz'. Laboratório de Ecologia e Restauração Florestal

^[5] University of Leeds. School of Geography - Ucrânia

^[6] Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Seção de Ecologia

^[7] Universidade de Campinas. Instituto de Biologia

^[8] Universidade de São Paulo. Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura. Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica - Brasil

^[9] Université Paul Sabatier. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - França

^[10] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Biociências

^[11] Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia. Departamento de Silvicultura Tropical e Manejo Florestal

^[12] Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana

^[13] Universidade de Campinas. Instituto de Biologia

^[15] Universidade de São Paulo. Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura. Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica - Brasil

^[16] Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. CCS. Instituto de Biologia

^[17] Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Botânica

^[18] University of Leeds. School of Geography - Ucrânia

^[19] Universidade de Campinas. Instituto de Biologia

^[20] Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais. Divisão de Sensoriamento Remoto

^[21] Universidade Federal do Acre. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza

^[22] University of California. Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics - Estados Unidos

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biota Neotropica; v. 8, n. 2, p. 0-0, 2008-06-00.
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to present and discuss the best methods to estimate live above ground biomass in the Atlantic Forest. The methods presented and conclusions are the products of a workshop entitled "Estimation of Biomass and Carbon Stocks: the Case of Atlantic Rain Forest". Aboveground biomass (AGB) in tropical forests is mainly contained in trees. Tree biomass is a function of wood volume, obtained from the diameter and height, architecture and wood density (dry weight per unit volume of fresh wood). It can be quantified by the direct (destructive) or indirect method where the biomass quantification is estimated using mathematical models. The allometric model can be site specific when elaborated to a particular ecosystem or general that can be used in different sites. For the Atlantic Forest, despite the importance of it, there are only two direct measurements of tree biomass, resulting in allometric models specific for this ecosystem. To select one or other of the available models in the literature to estimate AGB it is necessary take into account what is the main question to be answered and the ease with which it is possible to measure the independent variables in the model. Models that present more accurate estimates should be preferred. However, more simple models (those with one independent variable, usually DBH) can be used when the focus is monitoring the variation in carbon storage through the time. Our observations in the Atlantic Forest suggest that pan-tropical relations proposed by Chave et al. (2005) can be confidently used to estimated tree biomass across biomes as long as tree diameter (DBH), height, and wood density are accounted for in the model. In Atlantic Forest, we recommend the quantification of biomass of lianas, bamboo, palms, tree ferns and epiphytes, which are an important component in this ecosystem. This paper is an outcome of the workshop entitled "Estimation of Biomass and Carbon Stocks: the Case of Atlantic Rain Forest", that was conducted at Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, between 4 and 8 December 2006 as part of the Brazilian project "Ombrophylus Dense Forest floristic composition, structure and function at the Núcleos Picinguaba and Santa Virginia of the Serra do Mar State Park", BIOTA Gradiente. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 03/12595-7 - Floristic composition, structure and functioning of the Dense Rainforest nuclei of Picinguaba and Santa Virgínia of Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, State of São Paulo, Brazil
• Grantee: Carlos Alfredo Joly
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants