Abstract
Foliar cover is often selected over biomass as the variable to sample when inventorying agroforestry systems. To assess forage production, biomass and cover must be satisfactorily correlated. Significant cover/biomass relationships were developed for four major Alabama forest types. Conversion factors varied by forest type. These relationships provide practical application of understory cover measurements taken in forest inventories for use in multiresource assessments and in designing agroforestry systems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen DM and Caddy FB (1984) Analyzing experimental data by regression. Wadsworth Publishers, Belmont, California (394 pp)
Allen TFH, O'Neil RV and Hoekstra TW (1984) Interlevel relations in ecological research and management: some working principles from hierarchy theory. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RM-110 (11 pp)
Betters DR (1988) Planning optimal economic strategies for agroforestry systems. Agroforestry Systems 7: 17–31
Birdsey RA and McWilliams WH (1986) Midsouth forest area trends. USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin SO-107 (17 pp)
Daubenmire R (1959) A canopy-coverage method of vegetational analysis. Northwest Science 33: 43–64
Eyre FH, ed (1980) Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC (148 pp + map)
Halls LK and Schuster JL (1965) Tree-herbage relations. Journal of Range Management 63: 282–283
Humphrey LD (1985) Use of biomass predicted by regression from cover estimates to compare vegetational similarity of sagebrush-grass sites. Great Basin Naturalist 45: 95–98
Joyce LA and Hoekstra TW (1981) A national perspective on information needs from inventories. In: G. Lund (ed). Forest land inventory workshop: preparing for the 21st century. pp. 218–227. USDA Forest Service, Timber Management, Washington DC
Mitchell JE (1983) Analysis of forage production for assessments and appraisals. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RM-98 (26 pp)
Mitchell JE, Bartling PNS and O'Brien R (1987) Understory cover-biomass relationships in the Front Range ponderosa pine zone. USDA Forest Service Research Note RM-471 (5 pp)
Mitchell JE, Bartling PNS and O'Brien R (1988) Comparing cover-class macroplot data with direct estimates from small plots. American Midland Naturalist 120: 70–78
O'Brien R and Van Hooser D (1983) Understory vegetation inventory: an efficient procedure. USDA Forest Service Research Paper INT-232 (6 pp)
Pearson HA and Sternitzke HS (1974) Forest-range inventory: a multiple-use survey. Journal of Range Management 27: 404–407
Pearson HA and Whitaker LB (1974) Yearlong grazing of slash pine ranges: effects on herbage and browse. Journal of Range Management 27: 195–197
USDA Forest Service (1984) Forest regeneration of small areas within large grazing allotments. FS-SO-1701–3.8. USDA Southern Forest Experiment Station, Alexandria, Louisiana (31 pp)
Wolters GL (1973) Southern pine overstories influence herbage quality. Journal of Range Management 35: 443–446
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Joyce, L.A., Mitchell, J.E. Understory cover/biomass relationships in Alabama forest types. Agroforest Syst 9, 205–210 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00141084
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00141084