Allometric equations to predict the total aboveground biomass of tree species in a planted forest in Egypt

The aim of this study is to estimate the total above-ground biomass (TAGB), stem height (H), diameter at breast height (dbh) and basal area of five tree species (ages 7-8 years) irrigated by municipal sewage water in the Egyptian-Chinese friendship forest, Sadat City, Egypt. From the biomass data that obtained through destructive sampling, models for predicting aboveground biomass were developed. The highest values for stem density and height were estimated for Eucalyptus citriodora, while the lowest value for density was obtained for Dalbergia sissoo and stem height for Khaya senegalensis. The highest values for basal area and dbh were obtained for Casuarina spp., while the lowest values were recorded for Dalbergia sissoo. Eucalyptus camaldulensis had the highest stand stem biomass and TAGB (55.5, 83.9 t DW ha-1, respectively). In addition, Casuarina spp. had the highest leafy branches biomass (32.5 t DW ha-1) while Dalbergia sissoo had the lowest values for all tree components. All the generated allometric equations had high correlation coefficients at high probability levels. Moreover, the results revealed that not only the dbh data can be used as independent variable for biomass determination, but also stem height and size index are recommended for biomass estimation (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)