Allometric models for estimating fuelwood and above-ground wood dry mass of pruned Faidherbia albida trees in northern Cameroon
Abstract
In Cameroon's Sudano-Sahelian zone, rising fuelwood demand is jeopardising Faidherbia albida agroforestry parklands. Faced with these alarming pressures and ongoing climate challenges, evaluating sustainable management practices and the contribution of F. albida agroforestry parklands to climate change mitigation has become a pressing priority. In these agro-ecosystems, total and rotational crown pruning are common practices, traditionally aimed at fuelwood and livestock feed collection. However, its impact on the trade-off between leaf removal and pod production remains poorly documented, particularly regarding long-term fuelwood yield potential. This research aims to develop tools for estimating the above-ground wood dry mass of F. albida components in the context of their use as renewable fuelwood and their carbon storage potential. Allometric equations for the different tree components were developed using data from the most recent pruning event (2023) of F. albida trees that had undergone three complete crown-pruning cycles over the past two decades. The predictors used to estimate fuelwood and above-ground wood dry mass were diameter at breast height (D, in cm), crown area (Ca, in m²), and total tree height (H, in m). The best-performing equations for each tree components relied on structurally meaningful combinations of these variables: (i) D²Ca, capturing the combined influence of stem size and crown development for estimating fuelwood obtained after pruning (DWpr, R²adj = 0.84) and the total above-ground wood dry mass of F. albida (TDWb, R²adj = 0.85), corresponding to the sum of DWpr and the post-pruning wood dry mass remaining after pruning (DWUpr); and (ii) D, reflecting the effect of stem diameter for predicting DWUpr, (R²adj = 0.76). The best crown area-only models for predicting DWpr and TDWb showed strong explanatory power, with adjusted R² values of 0.82 and 0.64, respectively. The integration of structural characteristics visible from space, such as the tree crown area, provides promising prospects for large-scale bio-mass mapping using satellite images and remote sensing methods.
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BibTeX
@article{tsanga2026allometric,
title = {{Allometric models for estimating fuelwood and above-ground wood dry mass of pruned Faidherbia albida trees in northern Cameroon}},
author = {Faustin Ambomo Tsanga and Amah Akodewou and Jean-Marie Tapsou and Romain Rousgou Gnowe and Jean-Michel Harmand and Valéry Gond and Régis Peltier and Sylvain Aoudou Doua},
journal = {Bois et Forêts des Tropiques},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.19182/bft2026.363.a37930},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05751272v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Allometric models for estimating fuelwood and above-ground wood dry mass of pruned Faidherbia albida trees in northern Cameroon
AU - Faustin Ambomo Tsanga
AU - Amah Akodewou
AU - Jean-Marie Tapsou
AU - Romain Rousgou Gnowe
AU - Jean-Michel Harmand
AU - Valéry Gond
AU - Régis Peltier
AU - Sylvain Aoudou Doua
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/15
JO - Bois et Forêts des Tropiques
DO - 10.19182/bft2026.363.a37930
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05751272v1
AB - In Cameroon's Sudano-Sahelian zone, rising fuelwood demand is jeopardising Faidherbia albida agroforestry parklands. Faced with these alarming pressures and ongoing climate challenges, evaluating sustainable management practices and the contribution of F. albida agroforestry parklands to climate change mitigation has become a pressing priority. In these agro-ecosystems, total and rotational crown pruning are common practices, traditionally aimed at fuelwood and livestock feed collection. However, its impact on the trade-off between leaf removal and pod production remains poorly documented, particularly regarding long-term fuelwood yield potential. This research aims to develop tools for estimating the above-ground wood dry mass of F. albida components in the context of their use as renewable fuelwood and their carbon storage potential. Allometric equations for the different tree components were developed using data from the most recent pruning event (2023) of F. albida trees that had undergone three complete crown-pruning cycles over the past two decades. The predictors used to estimate fuelwood and above-ground wood dry mass were diameter at breast height (D, in cm), crown area (Ca, in m²), and total tree height (H, in m). The best-performing equations for each tree components relied on structurally meaningful combinations of these variables: (i) D²Ca, capturing the combined influence of stem size and crown development for estimating fuelwood obtained after pruning (DWpr, R²adj = 0.84) and the total above-ground wood dry mass of F. albida (TDWb, R²adj = 0.85), corresponding to the sum of DWpr and the post-pruning wood dry mass remaining after pruning (DWUpr); and (ii) D, reflecting the effect of stem diameter for predicting DWUpr, (R²adj = 0.76). The best crown area-only models for predicting DWpr and TDWb showed strong explanatory power, with adjusted R² values of 0.82 and 0.64, respectively. The integration of structural characteristics visible from space, such as the tree crown area, provides promising prospects for large-scale bio-mass mapping using satellite images and remote sensing methods.
SN - 0006-579X
ER -