Allometric relationships for estimating biomass in grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa)

Abstract

Summary A procedure is described for obtaining allometric relationships between stem diameter and aboveground biomass for grey box. Eucalyptus microcarpa. a commonly occurring tree in the Victorian and New South Wales Riverina. While usually having a single trunk, a significant proportion of grey box individuals have multiple stems from near the ground. This is an artifact of enhanced epicormic growth when juvenile, often resulting from stock grazing disturbance. The procedure treats each stem formed from below 30 cm above ground as a discrete tree that shares a proportion of the butt and other elements common to all stems. Significant allometric relationships, using both the commonly-applied log-transformed method, and a recently proposed additive error method, were developed between stem diameter at breast height and at 30 cm above ground, tree height and width, and the dry weights of each aboveground component. These relationships were similar to those previously obtained for single-stemmed trees in southern Australia.