TITLE:
Developing the Allometric Equations for Estimating Above-Ground Biomass of Vachellia tortilis Using Destructive Sampling in Oman
AUTHORS:
Rabie Al Rahbi, Hameed Sulaiman, Ronald Wesonga
KEYWORDS:
Protected Area, Vachellia tortilis, Best Fit Model, Linear Regression
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.15 No.1,
December
2,
2024
ABSTRACT: Biomass models to estimate carbon stocks in arid environment are very limited. This study employed destructive sampling to develop a new biomass model for Vachellia tortilis, a widely known species in the Sultanate of Oman. Twenty trees with a diameter at stump height (DSH) ranging from 18.5 cm to 150 cm were selected based on DSH and height variations for destructive sampling in As Saleel Natural Park Reserve (SNPR) in Al Sharqiyah governorate, South of Oman. Each tree was excavated and cut into three parts: Stems, Branches, twigs, and leaves. The total fresh weight of each tree was obtained in the field using a 300 balance. Sub-samples (250 - 300 grams) were taken from each part of the tree and transferred to the laboratory for dry weight determination. Linear multiple regression analysis was done using SPSS software between the three variables, DSH, H, CA (x) and the total dry biomass (y). Five models were tested for the best-fit model based on R-Square and Mean Square Error (MSE). Model 5 was the best-fit model, including the LOG of DSH and the LOG of CA (R2 = 0.97, MSE = 0.114). The models developed in this research fill a critical gap in estimating the AGB of terrestrial native species in Oman and other countries with similar ecological and climate conditions.