An Assessment of Avicennia marina Forest Structure and Aboveground Biomass in Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park, Abu Dhabi

Abstract

This study reports on the population structure and aboveground biomass of Avicennia marina to better understand the status of this tree species. In situ data include 20 random circular plots and measurements recorded from 2 216 individual trees. Direct measurements include tree status, stem number, diameter at breast height (DBH), and height; derived measurements include density, basal area, average crown spread, plot height, mortality rate, and aboveground biomass (AGB). The results show significant variations in density between the sampling plots, which have a total basal area of 20.58 m2 ha−1. Basal area mortality rate is very low (0.2 %), which indicates a healthy forest. The frequency distribution for tree height is positively skewed, meaning that these plots contain many small and few large trees. The distribution of DBH and average crown spread follows a reverse-J-shaped pattern, which is typical of naturally regenerating forests with a high population of seedlings and saplings. Finally, estimated ...