Abstract
Shrubs are an important component of mountain ecosystems in terms of productivity and diversity. The estimate of shrub biomass via allometric equations represents a non-destructive alternative to obtain quantitative data. We propose allometric equations to estimate aboveground biomass from easily acquirable descriptive parameters of plant height and cover using linear models for five of the most abundant subalpine shrub species in European mountain or boreal ecosystems: Rhododendron ferrugineum, Vaccinium myrtillus, V. uliginosum, V. vitis-idaea and Juniperus sibirica. Samples used for the establishment of the equations are from non-disturbed Pinus cembra–Larix decidua stands, and from adjacent stands frequently disturbed by snow avalanches. The equations adequately predict shrub biomass for all species except V. uliginosum. They thus provide a useful and non-destructive method for estimating aboveground shrub biomass in subalpine ecosystems.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support was provided by the FIREMAN program (ANR/ERA-net BiodivERsA) to CC, and by grants from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) to TME, from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE-Paris) to OB and OG. We thank Loïc Bircker, Benoit Brossier, Serge Cadet, Bérangère Leys, and Frédéric Saltré for their contributions during the fieldwork.
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T. M. Elzein and O. Blarquez are co-first authors and contributed equally to this paper.
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Elzein, T.M., Blarquez, O., Gauthier, O. et al. Allometric equations for biomass assessment of subalpine dwarf shrubs. Alp Botany 121, 129–134 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-011-0095-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-011-0095-3