Live Crown Research Articles

Resilience of a ponderosa pine plantation to a backfiring operation during a mid-summer wildfire

The Mill Fire, which burned in north-western California during the summer of 2012, provided a unique research opportunity when firefighters implemented a backfiring operation to limit wildfire growth. This backfire was ignited and burned through research plots from a long-term study designed to determine the effects of tree density manipulation and shrub control on the growth and stand development of a ponderosa pine plantation. The objectives of this study were to examine the response of these 53-year-old trees to the backfire and to determine how the fire effects differed with plantation structure and composition. Measurements made 4 years post-fire showed that mortality rate was highly variable (from 0 to 100%) and did not relate to tree density, height of live crown, total basal area or shrub cover. Bole char height explained 65% of the variation in mortality rate. Fire appeared to spread primarily through the surface litter and killed a substantial proportion of the shrubs competing with the trees for water and nutrients. Importantly, post-fire tree growth was not significantly affected relative to pre-fire growth. A lack of negative effects of the fire on radial growth was possibly a result of release from inter-tree and shrub competition, which balanced any declines that might have been expected from bole injury or crown loss. Results from the present study demonstrate that ponderosa pine plantations could potentially be treated with managed fire (e.g. prescribed fire) without pretreatment (i.e. thinning, mastication), and still achieve good survival and improved resilience to wildfires burning under uncontrolled conditions.

Determinants of tree sway frequency in temperate deciduous forests of the Northeast United States

Trees are the most common cause of utility damage and power outages during storms in the northeastern United States. Previous studies on tree sway and risk of wind-throw have largely been conducted in heavily managed coniferous stands, while relatively little is known for northeastern mixed temperate deciduous forests. The objective of this study was to identify factors determining tree sway frequency in northeastern forests. To this end, we monitored the fundamental vibrational frequency (FVF) of 39 trees representing nine different tree species on 3 sites in southern New England over one year, and regressed those measurements against 25 potential predictor variables.Results showed that four predictors were significant across all sites and species. The height to the base of the live crown, as well as tree slenderness, defined as diameter-at-breast height divided by tree height squared (DBH ∙ H−2), were significant. Previous studies on coniferous trees support the significance of slenderness. The other two predictors accounted for the presence or absence of foliage and whether temperatures were above or below freezing. These findings highlight the relationship of tree shape and FVF, and indicate the relationship is similar between excurrent (e.g., coniferous) and decurrent (e.g., northeastern broadleaves) species when they are grown in closed canopy situations, regardless of species mix or location. Given this relationship, and our understanding of the relationship of FVF to wind-firmness, forest management practices designed to effect slenderness and tree shape have the potential to increase wind-firmness and reduce tree-related storm damage to utility infrastructure.

Slenderness of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) according to biosocial position

The paper presents results of an analysis of pedunculate oak slenderness. The dependence between slenderness of the oak tree and dimensions of the trunk and the crown dimensions of a single tree were examined. The biosocial position of each tree was determined based on the Kraft’s classification criteria. Following dimensions were measured for each tree: height, height of base of live crown, crown radius, diameter at breast height. The following crown parameters related to the growth space of a single tree were determined: crown length, crown width, crown projection area, space of a single tree, Seebach’s growth space number, crown projection area to basal area ratio, crown spread. Based on the obtained results, the following was found: biosocial position of the oak tree in vertical structure of the stand has significant impact on the size of the tree slenderness; the slenderness increases with deterioration of the biosocial position of the tree, but it decreases with the increase in the value of the tree’s measurement characteristics and the measures of its crown.

Aboveground biomass equations for the predominant conifer species of the Inland Northwest USA

Assessment of aboveground biomass stocks in the coniferous forests of the inland northwest USA is important for timber, bioenergy, and carbon inventories, as well as for wildfire risk determination. In this study, individual tree biomass equation systems are developed for 7 regionally important conifer species using data from 470 felled trees sampled across 84 stands and spanning a range of diameters at breast height (1.37 m; dbh) running from 5 cm to 105 cm. The equation systems permit estimation of crown biomass components (i.e., foliage, dead branches, and live branches by size class) and stem components (abovestump stemwood and stembark), as well as compatible estimates of (sub)totals. The systems draw on commonly collected inventory variables including dbh, tree height, and live crown length. All biomass components scaled approximately linearly with dbh on the logarithmic scale, but equation systems drawing on both dbh and height provided more accurate estimates for all species; systems drawing additionally on live crown length provided more accurate estimates still for all species but one. In line with previous work, incorporation of live crown length improved live crown component equations most, but also improved stem component equations for two species. Across species and systems, stem components and subtotals were most accurately estimated (mean absolute errors ∼10%) while dead branch biomass estimation proved least tractable (mean absolute errors >50%). Overall, the reported biomass equation systems draw on the largest felled tree samples collected from the region, and provide the most comprehensive basis developed to date for regional forest biomass assessments over the inland northwest.

Effects of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on the biochemical parameters and oxidative stress in rats: The protective role of pomegranate (punica granatum) juice

Arid pomegranate (Punica granatum) orchards are frequently rainfed. In these systems, orchard managers might be able to manipulate a stand’s canopy structure (e.g., thinning, pruning) to improve rainfall water input to the soil. The aim of this research was to determine how changes in management activities in rainfed pomegranate orchards in arid regions of Central Iran affects rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemflow, and rainfall interception loss. We monitored gross rainfall, throughfall, stemflow and rainfall interception loss in three stands with varying levels of thinning and pruning. Management practices sufficiently altered the stand and canopy structure of pomegranate orchards to impact the quantity and pathway (throughfall v. stemflow) of rainfall reaching the ground. Decreases in tree height, canopy cover, crown length and LAI were correlated to a significant increase in rainfall reaching the forest floor. Results indicate that orchard managers may be able to prune 40% of the live crown and thin 70% of the stand if the objective it to significantly increase water inputs into the soil. Future research should focus on the impact of canopy management on soil moisture content and soil evaporation and transpiration.

Assessing branching structure for biomass and wood quality estimation using terrestrial laser scanning point clouds

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) accompanied by quantitative tree-modeling algorithms can potentially acquire branching data non-destructively from a forest environment and aid the development and calibration of allometric crown biomass and wood quality equations for species and geographical regions with inadequate models. However, TLS’s coverage in capturing individual branches still lacks evaluation. We acquired TLS data from 158 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees and investigated the performance of a quantitative branch detection and modeling approach for extracting key branching parameters, namely the number of branches, branch diameter (bd) and branch insertion angle (bα) in various crown sections. We used manual point cloud measurements as references. The accuracy of quantitative branch detections decreased significantly above the live crown base height, principally due to the increasing scanner distance as opposed to occlusion effects caused by the foliage. bd was generally underestimated, when comparing to the manual reference, while bα was estimated accurately: tree-specific biases were 0.89 cm and 1.98°, respectively. Our results indicate that full branching structure remains challenging to capture by TLS alone. Nevertheless, the retrievable branching parameters are potential inputs into allometric biomass and wood quality equations.

Western gray squirrel resource selection related to fire fuel management

ABSTRACTOne of 3 populations of the state‐threatened western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) in Washington occurs in the northern Cascade Range (i.e., North Cascades), where long‐term fire suppression has increased the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Land management agencies throughout this region have implemented fire fuel reduction programs that alter squirrel habitat and may affect their populations. From April 2008 to September 2011, we investigated resource selection of 38 radio‐collared western gray squirrels at 2 study sites in the North Cascades following fire fuel management activities including mechanical thinning and prescribed burning. We developed conditional logistic models to examine resource selection at 3 spatial scales: nest trees, nest sites, and core areas within home ranges. The odds of a squirrel selecting a tree for nesting increased with dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.) presence, greater number of surrounding trees with interlocking branches, and tree size. Squirrels selected nest sites that had greater canopy cover, tree connectivity, and presence of dwarf mistletoe than available, unused sites. Core‐use areas within home ranges had greater canopy cover, a greater number of tree species, and trees with higher live crowns compared to low‐use areas. Our results indicate that fire fuel treatments may negatively affect western gray squirrel habitat across multiple spatial scales. Most variables that were positively related to habitat selection are specifically targeted for reduction in fire fuel management plans and were lower in sampled treated areas compared to untreated areas within the study sites. Key considerations in designing fuel reduction programs that benefit both squirrel habitat conservation and fire fuel management include maintaining forest patches with suitable canopy cover and connectivity, retaining large trees of a mix of species, and allowing for mistletoe infection at a reduced rate. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

Neighbor and Height Effects on Crown Properties Associated with the Uniform-Stress Principle of Stem Formation

According to the uniform-stress principle of stem formation, the amount of leaf area a tree carries and the leverage it exerts on the stem determine the stem dimensions. Within an even-aged monoculture, the leaf area per tree and the leverage placed on the stem are functions of tree density and tree height. The uniform-stress principle presents the means to translate density effects on crown characteristics into stem dimensions and total standing volume. This approach is truly a top-down method of simulating growth tree and stand growth because leaf area and other crown properties must be determined before stem size and taper can be calculated. Each crown property influences either the sail area or the leverage placed on the stem, but the degree to which a specific crown property affects these parameters changes with stand density and height. Leverage is the more complicated of the two variables, being a function of the height to the base of the live crown and the vertical distribution of leaf area. The purpose of this brief review is to summarize the effects of stand density on the height to the base of the live tree and the vertical distribution of leaf area and the various ways these variables have been quantified.

Automatic tree parameter extraction by a Mobile LiDAR System in an urban context.

In an urban context, tree data are used in city planning, in locating hazardous trees and in environmental monitoring. This study focuses on developing an innovative methodology to automatically estimate the most relevant individual structural parameters of urban trees sampled by a Mobile LiDAR System at city level. These parameters include the Diameter at Breast Height (DBH), which was estimated by circle fitting of the points belonging to different height bins using RANSAC. In the case of non-circular trees, DBH is calculated by the maximum distance between extreme points. Tree sizes were extracted through a connectivity analysis. Crown Base Height, defined as the length until the bottom of the live crown, was calculated by voxelization techniques. For estimating Canopy Volume, procedures of mesh generation and α-shape methods were implemented. Also, tree location coordinates were obtained by means of Principal Component Analysis. The workflow has been validated on 29 trees of different species sampling a stretch of road 750 m long in Delft (The Netherlands) and tested on a larger dataset containing 58 individual trees. The validation was done against field measurements. DBH parameter had a correlation R2 value of 0.92 for the height bin of 20 cm which provided the best results. Moreover, the influence of the number of points used for DBH estimation, considering different height bins, was investigated. The assessment of the other inventory parameters yield correlation coefficients higher than 0.91. The quality of the results confirms the feasibility of the proposed methodology, providing scalability to a comprehensive analysis of urban trees.

Old pests in new places: Effects of stand structure and forest type on susceptibility to a bark beetle on the edge of its native range

Range expansion of native insect pests under climate change has the potential to move many species beyond their usual habitat. As resource managers attempt to respond to these “new” pests, methods are needed that can rapidly assess local impacts, while utilizing familiar metrics so that the wheel need not be re-invented with each new pest. Southern pine beetle (SPB; Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann) is a bark beetle native to the southeastern United States whose periodic outbreaks can kill thousands of hectares of trees, resulting in economic losses and degradation of ecosystem services. Over the past decade, a sustained outbreak in the New Jersey Pinelands has moved the northern limit of its range, switching from forests consisting primarily of loblolly, longleaf, and shortleaf pines (Pinus taeda, P. palustris, P. echinata) in the southeastern U.S. to one consisting primarily of pitch pine (P. rigida) along the mid-Atlantic seaboard. We sought to understand the effects of forest type and structure on the variation in susceptibility of stands to SPB infestation. We found that among wetland conifer, wetland mixed pine/oak, upland (dry) conifer, and upland mixed pine/oak stands, those with a high percentage of pine were infested with higher probability than mixed pine/hardwood stands, regardless of whether the stands were upland or wetland habitats. The effects of stand type (wetland or upland) were overridden by the effect of stand composition. Research from the south has found that wet or waterlogged stands tend to be more susceptible to SPB, potentially due to lower tree defenses. Our finding that wetland/upland status is less important than stand composition suggests that defenses were not the primary determinant of stand susceptibility. Also in contrast to southern findings, site index did not predict infestation status. More in line with previous work in the south, we found that stands with high percentage pine and high pine basal area were more susceptible. Stands composed of smaller, closer together, shorter, and younger trees, with lower percent live crown, were also more susceptible. Discriminant analyses found that a simple model including DBH, pine basal area, and percent live crown could be used to successfully separate and prioritize stands more likely to be infested in the future. Our results suggest that thinning is an appropriate management strategy for forest managers seeking to build resilience, and that all else being equal, conifer stands should receive priority for management attention over mixed stands.

Management of pomegranate (Punica granatum) orchards alters the supply and pathway of rain water reaching soils in an arid agricultural landscape

Arid pomegranate (Punica granatum) orchards are frequently rainfed. In these systems, orchard managers might be able to manipulate a stand’s canopy structure (e.g., thinning, pruning) to improve rainfall water input to the soil. The aim of this research was to determine how changes in management activities in rainfed pomegranate orchards in arid regions of Central Iran affects rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemflow, and rainfall interception loss. We monitored gross rainfall, throughfall, stemflow and rainfall interception loss in three stands with varying levels of thinning and pruning. Management practices sufficiently altered the stand and canopy structure of pomegranate orchards to impact the quantity and pathway (throughfall v. stemflow) of rainfall reaching the ground. Decreases in tree height, canopy cover, crown length and LAI were correlated to a significant increase in rainfall reaching the forest floor. Results indicate that orchard managers may be able to prune 40% of the live crown and thin 70% of the stand if the objective it to significantly increase water inputs into the soil. Future research should focus on the impact of canopy management on soil moisture content and soil evaporation and transpiration.

Rainfall Interception by Singleleaf Piñon and Utah Juniper: Implications for Stand-Level Effective Precipitation

The expansion of piñon and juniper trees into sagebrush steppe and the infilling of historic woodlands has caused a reduction in the cover and density of the understory vegetation. Water is the limiting factor in these systems; therefore, quantifying redistribution of water resources by tree species is critical to understanding the dynamics of these formerly sagebrush-dominated rangelands. Tree canopy interception may have a significant role in reducing the amount of rainfall that reaches the ground beneath the tree, thereby reducing the amount of available soil moisture. We measured canopy interception of rainfall by singleleaf piñon (Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frém.) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma [Torr.] Little) across a gradient of storm sizes. Simulated rainfall was used to quantify interception and effective precipitation during 130 rainfall events ranging in size from 2.2 to 25.9 mm hr−1 on 19 trees of each species. Effective precipitation was defined as the sum of throughfall and stemflow beneath tree canopies. Canopy interception averaged 44.6% (± 27.0%) with no significant difference between the two species. Tree allometrics including height, diameter at breast height, stump diameter, canopy area, live crown height, and width were measured and used as predictor variables. The best fit predictive model of effective precipitation under canopy was described by stump diameter and gross precipitation (R2 = 0.744, P < 0.0001). An alternative management model based on canopy area and gross precipitation predicted effective precipitation with similar accuracy (R2 = 0.741, P < 0.0001). Canopy area can be derived from various remote sensing techniques, allowing these results to be extrapolated to larger spatial scales to quantify the effect of increasing tree canopy cover on rainfall interception loss and potential implications for the water budget.

Survival and growth of residual trees in a variable retention harvest experiment in a boreal mixedwood forest

Abstract Long-term sustainability of forest resources is in question given wide-spread use of conventional clear-cut silviculture. In response, variable retention (VR) harvest has been increasingly promoted as a landscape-based approach to enhance sustainability by maintaining biodiversity and other ecosystem functions in managed forests. Although the success of the VR approach depends on post-harvest stand dynamics, little is known about growth and mortality of residual trees after harvest and how such trees respond to interactions between amount of retention and tree or site level covariates. We use data from three censuses distributed over a 10-year period of the main merchantable species to study the effects of retention level (i.e., percent of trees retained), mixedwood cover type, tree species, and three tree or terrain covariates (tree stem diameter, percent live crown, and soil wetness) on survival and growth of residual trees in a retention harvest experiment in NW Alberta, Canada. Both mortality and growth of residual trees were negatively related to retention levels. During the first five-year period after harvest, effects of retention levels on mortality were more evident for white spruce (Picea glauca) than for Populus spp., but effects on growth were weaker for white spruce. Tree mortality decreased through time following VR harvest for all species and in most cover types, while trends in tree growth varied by species. During the second five-year period after harvest, growth of residual Populus spp. had decreased from high levels observed in the first period. In contrast, growth of residual white spruce was greater in the second five-year period than in the first period. After the original harvest, re-entry of stands for additional harvest focused mainly on hardwoods may be economically rewarding and ecologically justified, depending on the overall objectives for retention. The positive effect of increased retention level on tree survival was strongest for trees with larger diameter and longer crowns. Thus, retention patches are a management option to protect large trees and trees with greater crown length when retaining such trees is a management goal.

Risk assessment of Celtis australis affected by Inonotus rickii in Lisbon town

In Lisbon, 20% of urban trees are Celtis australis (European hackberry), but since 2000 Inonotus rickii, a basidiomycete fungus, is causing heart white rot and the failure of these street trees. In the present work, 374 C. australis located in a residential area of Lisbon were surveyed in 2007 and in 2015 to evaluate the incidence of the disease and the risk of failure associated to each tree, following the Visual Tree Assessment method (VTA). Trees' total height, height to the live crown base and diameter at 1.30 meters height (DBH) were measured. Trees were assessed for the overall condition of trunks, branches and leaves as well and rated with a risk rating value. Major defects were registered and rated according to their failure potential. Following ground level visual inspection, trees showing severe defects on the trunk were further assessed using a IML-Resistograph F-400S. Out of the 374 trees assessed, 279 individuals have symptoms caused by I. rickii. Fruit bodies were seen in 15% of the trees, mainly on individuals with DBH greater than 40 cm. The incidence of I. rickii increased in 10% between 2007 and 2015 and the diseased trees exhibited unbalanced crowns, dead branches and cavities on branches and on the trunk. The evaluation of the extension of such defects led to their classification as critical with a probable or imminent likelihood of failure. In Lisbon I. rickii threatens the future of a significant part of street trees affecting their longevity and mechanical stability.

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires.

The present protocol presents a laboratory technique designed to study chaparral crown fire ignition and spread. Experiments were conducted in a low velocity fire wind tunnel where two distinct layers of fuel were constructed to represent surface and crown fuels in chaparral. Chamise, a common chaparral shrub, comprised the live crown layer. The dead fuel surface layer was constructed with excelsior (shredded wood). We developed a methodology to measure mass loss, temperature, and flame height for both fuel layers. Thermocouples placed in each layer estimated temperature. A video camera captured the visible flame. Post-processing of digital imagery yielded flame characteristics including height and flame tilt. A custom crown mass loss instrument developed in-house measured the evolution of the mass of the crown layer during the burn. Mass loss and temperature trends obtained using the technique matched theory and other empirical studies. In this study, we present detailed experimental procedures and information about the instrumentation used. The representative results for the fuel mass loss rate and temperature filed within the fuel bed are also included and discussed.

The overlooked carbon loss due to decayed wood in urban trees

Decayed wood is a common issue in urban trees that deteriorates tree vitality over time, yet its effect on biomass yield therefore stored carbon has been overlooked. We mapped the occurrence and calculated the extent of decayed wood in standing Ulmus procera, Platanus×acerifolia and Corymbia maculata trees. The main stem of 43 trees was measured every metre from the ground to the top by two skilled arborists. All trees were micro-drilled in two to four axes at three points along the stem (0.3m, 1.3m, 2.3m), and at the tree’s live crown. A total of 300 drilling profiles were assessed for decay. Simple linear regression analysis tested the correlation of decayed wood (cm2) against a vitality index and stem DBH. Decay was more frequent and extensive in U. procera, than P. acerifolia and least in C. maculata. Decay was found to be distributed in three different ways in the three different genera. For U. procera, decay did appear to be distributed as a column from the base to the live crown; whereas, decay was distributed as a cone-shape in P. acerifolia and was less likely to be located beyond 2.3m. In C. maculata decay was distributed as pockets of variable shape and size. The vitality index showed a weak but not significant correlation with the proportion of decayed wood for P. acerifolia and C. maculata but not for U. procera. However, in U. procera, a strong and significant relationship was found between DBH and stem volume loss (R2=0.8006, P=0.0046, n=15). The actual volume loss ranged from 0.17 to 0.75m3, equivalent to 5%–25% of the stem volume. The carbon loss due to decayed wood for all species ranged between 69–110kg per tree. Based on model’s calculation, the stem volume of U. procera trees with DBH≥40cm needs to be discounted by a factor of 13% due to decayed wood regardless of the vitality index. Decayed wood reduces significantly the tree’s standing volume and needs to be considered to better assess the carbon storage potential of urban forests.

Terrestrial laser scanning reveals differences in crown structure of Fagus sylvatica in mixed vs. pure European forests

Competition with neighboring trees of different species can affect crown size and shape. However, whether intra-specific differences in crown characteristics in mixed stands compared to pure stands are dependent on site conditions remains poorly understood. We used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to examine the differences in Fagus sylvatica crown characteristics at four sites, each of which contained pure stands of F. sylvatica and their mixture with Pinus sylvestris. These sites covered the area where the mixture occurs in Europe from south to north, representing a gradient of F. sylvatica productivity, defined as the mean increment of annual volume growth in pure F. sylvatica stands. Despite the large range in productivity, F. sylvatica trees in mixtures had larger crowns regardless of site conditions, with a higher proportion of their crown volume in the lower canopy compared to trees in pure stands. Larger crown volumes were related to higher live crown ratios and greater crown expansion, depending on the site. The magnitude of the mixing effect was variable among the crown characteristics evaluated, but overall our findings provide evidence that for a given species combination and density, the effect of mixture increased in the two most productive sites. TLS-derived novel crown metrics revealed that the mixing effect was affected by productivity, which was not captured by traditionally measured crown variables.

Precommercial thinning of overtopping aspen to release coniferous regeneration in a boreal mixedwood stand

We used precommercial thinning (PCT) to accelerate natural succession in an 8-year-old, even-aged stratified mixture, in which trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) overtopped a dense understory of balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and spruce (Picea mariana, P. glauca). In addition to an unthinned control, we applied three residual aspen spacings (2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 m) while retaining all understory conifers, and a 3.0-m spacing retaining only small conifers (&lt;1/3 of the aspen crop tree height). PCT improved survival of spruce, increased diameter growth of aspen by 90% and doubled diameter and height growth of conifers, without differences among spacings or between levels of conifer retention after 10 years. The level of conifer retention did not affect aspen growth response, but appeared to influence the occurrence of browsing on aspen and balsam fir. Retaining only small conifers decreased regeneration density of balsam fir in favour of abundant vegetative reproduction of red maple (Acer rubrum) and beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta). Live crown characteristics and stand structure indicate that thinning caused a shift from overtopping of aspen to an intimate mixture of species sharing the growing space. This study confirms PCT as a means of accelerating natural succession in a boreal mixedwood stand, thereby securing the coniferous component at the early stage of development.

How Many Arizona Walnut Trees Inhabit Walnut Canyon National Monument?

Abstract Walnut Canyon National Monument, in northern Arizona, was named for its population of Arizona walnut (Juglans major). To increase knowledge of the species' population size and status, the National Park Service conducted a census in 2011–2012 of all Arizona walnut trees in the monument and evaluated their characteristics. The monument contained 2,065 Arizona walnut trees. All size classes were well represented, from seedlings ( 50% live crown), indicating that trees were healthy across size classes.

A comparison of local and general models of leaf area and biomass of urban trees in USA

Ecosystem service estimation is a very popular topic. Many urban studies use the i-Tree Eco model developed by US Forest Service to estimate ecosystem services. Several ecosystem service estimation studies have been conducted acting upon the assumption that relationships developed elsewhere are applicable to sites that vary in species, site, climate, and environmental conditions. This study tested the accuracy of highly used existing leaf area and biomass models when used outside the region in which it was developed. To do this, we measured 74 urban trees from five species in Stevens Point, Wisconsin collecting data such as diameter at breast height (Dbh), tree height, height to the base of live crown, crown width, crown volume, leaf area, and leaf dry weight biomass. Using the data, we developed two models each to predict leaf area and biomass. Using ten independent samples, we compared our predictions with predictions from the existing models which are also used in i-Tree. Our results indicated that the local models developed in the current study predicted leaf area and biomass better than existing models which had higher prediction error. The difference in prediction will ultimately affect ecosystem services estimation when. using i-Tree, and future studies should acknowledge the difference.