Allometric equations for estimating tree volume and aboveground biomass of Acacia mangium Willd. on the Batéké Plateau, Republic of the Congo
4 affiliations
- 1Société des Plantations Forestières Batéké-Brazzaville (SPF2B), Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- 2Forêts Ressources Management (FRM), Montpellier, Hérault, France
- 3Institut Supérieur des Sciences Géographiques, Environnementales et de l’Aménagement (ISSGEA), Université DENIS SASSOU-N’GUESSO, Kintélé, Pool, Republic of the Congo
- 4Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Laboratoire de Biodiversité, Gestion des Ecosystèmes et de l’Environnement (LBGE), Université Marien NGOUABI, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Abstract
Acacia mangium Willd. is a widely planted fast-growing tropical species, but species-specific equations for estimating its tree volume and aboveground biomass remain scarce across tropical Africa. Accurate estimation of these parameters is essential for assessing plantation resources and carbon stocks and for supporting climate-change mitigation initiatives such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). This study developed allometric equations to estimate woody volume and AGB in A. mangium plantations on the Batéké Plateau (Republic of the Congo). A total of 54 trees, ranging from 4.5 to 23.8 cm in diameter, were destructively sampled. Trees were measured, felled, and partitioned into stem and large branches (>4 cm), small branches (1–4 cm), phyllodes, and stumps. Subsamples of each compartment were oven-dried and weighed. Results showed that biomass allocation to the stem and large branches increased with tree age, while allocation to small branches and phyllodes declined. A power-law model (Y = a(D²H)ᵇ) provided the best fit (low values of AIC, BIC, RMSE, and bias) for both volume (V = 0.401(D²H)0.984) and AGB (AGB = 0.259(D²H)0.900). When applied to inventory data from permanent sample plots (trees aged 28–64 months), estimates (mean ± SE) ranged from 38.29 ± 0.90 to 157.62 ± 12.30 m3 ha−1 for volume and from 29.41 ± 0.70 to 105.51 ± 8.20 Mg ha−1 for AGB. These equations provide a robust reference for A. mangium on the Batéké Plateau and will strengthen the accuracy of biomass and carbon monitoring for effective forest-based climate mitigation initiatives.
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BibTeX
@article{desarmes2026allometric,
title = {{Allometric equations for estimating tree volume and aboveground biomass of Acacia mangium Willd. on the Batéké Plateau, Republic of the Congo}},
author = {Chelton Desarmes and Grace Jopaul Loubota Panzou and Flore Hirsch and Paul Bertaux and Nicolas Bayol},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0335578},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335578},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Allometric equations for estimating tree volume and aboveground biomass of Acacia mangium Willd. on the Batéké Plateau, Republic of the Congo
AU - Chelton Desarmes
AU - Grace Jopaul Loubota Panzou
AU - Flore Hirsch
AU - Paul Bertaux
AU - Nicolas Bayol
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0335578
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335578
AB - Acacia mangium Willd. is a widely planted fast-growing tropical species, but species-specific equations for estimating its tree volume and aboveground biomass remain scarce across tropical Africa. Accurate estimation of these parameters is essential for assessing plantation resources and carbon stocks and for supporting climate-change mitigation initiatives such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). This study developed allometric equations to estimate woody volume and AGB in A. mangium plantations on the Batéké Plateau (Republic of the Congo). A total of 54 trees, ranging from 4.5 to 23.8 cm in diameter, were destructively sampled. Trees were measured, felled, and partitioned into stem and large branches (>4 cm), small branches (1–4 cm), phyllodes, and stumps. Subsamples of each compartment were oven-dried and weighed. Results showed that biomass allocation to the stem and large branches increased with tree age, while allocation to small branches and phyllodes declined. A power-law model (Y = a(D²H)ᵇ) provided the best fit (low values of AIC, BIC, RMSE, and bias) for both volume (V = 0.401(D²H)0.984) and AGB (AGB = 0.259(D²H)0.900). When applied to inventory data from permanent sample plots (trees aged 28–64 months), estimates (mean ± SE) ranged from 38.29 ± 0.90 to 157.62 ± 12.30 m3 ha−1 for volume and from 29.41 ± 0.70 to 105.51 ± 8.20 Mg ha−1 for AGB. These equations provide a robust reference for A. mangium on the Batéké Plateau and will strengthen the accuracy of biomass and carbon monitoring for effective forest-based climate mitigation initiatives.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -