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Using cover measurements to estimate aboveground understorey biomass in Maritime pine stands

Estimation de la biomasse aérienne du sous-bois de peuplements de pin maritime à l’aide de mesures de recouvrement

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Abstract

  • • Understorey plays a major role in forest fluxes and stocks balances, however this compartment is generally poorly quantified. Our objectives were to establish models to estimate understorey biomass using vegetation cover measurements and to investigate upscaling methodologies from stand to regional level.

  • • Understorey aboveground biomass measurements were undertaken in Maritime pine stands of mesohygric, mesic and dry moorlands in South West France.

  • • Average biomass stock in this compartment was estimated to 3.50 t DM ha−1. The more abundant species groups varied with moorland types, with a higher relative contribution of herbaceous species (23.3%), bracken (59.2%) and mosses (31.6%) for mesohygric, mesic and dry moorlands, respectively. For each species group, we established significant relationships to estimate biomass using a volumetric index, based on cover and height measurements. No relationship between stand characteristics and understorey biomass was founded. We investigated the upscaling of these estimations to a several thousands hectare area using understorey cover measurements done along a regular spatial grid. The only significant correlation linked one satellite vegetation index to understorey biomass.

  • • We successfully developed empirical relationships to estimate the understorey biomass at the stand level. Further investigations could focus on the analysis of understorey variability over a finer space grid and the potential use of satellite vegetation indexes.

Résumé

  • • Le sous-bois est un compartiment non négligeable dans les études de stocks et de flux des forêts; cependant il est encore mal quantifié. Les objectifs de notre étude étaient d’établir des relations permettant d’estimer la biomasse du sous-bois de peuplements et d’analyser les possibilités d’extrapolation à l’échelle du massif.

  • • Des mesures de biomasse aérienne de sous-bois ont été réalisées sur une série de peuplements de pin maritime en Landes mésohygrophile, mésophile et sèche dans le Sud-Ouest de la France.

  • • Nous avons estimé le stock moyen de biomasse dans ce compartiment à 3.50 t MS ha−1. Le groupe d’espèces le plus abondant diffère selon le type de landes : herbacées (23.3 %), fougères (59.2 %) et mousses (31.6 %) en landes mésohygrophile, mésophile et sèche, respectivement. Pour chaque groupe d’espèces, des relations significatives ont été mises en évidence entre un indice volumique et la biomasse de sous-bois. Aucune relation n’a été mise en évidence entre les caractéristiques du peuplement et la biomasse du sous-bois. Nous avons envisagé le calcul à l’échelle d’une zone atelier de plusieurs milliers d’hectares en utilisant une grille spatialisée de relevés de recouvrements. Seul un indice satellite de végétation a présenté une corrélation positive avec la biomasse du sous-bois.

  • • Les relations que nous avons développées permettent d’estimer la biomasse du sous-bois à l’échelle du peuplement. L’analyse spatiale à une échelle plus fine et l’utilisation d’un indice de végétation pourraient être des pistes à explorer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UR1263 EPHYSE, INRA, 33140, Villenave d’Ornon, France

    Annabel J. Porté, Raphaël Dulhoste, Alexandre Bosc & Céline Meredieu

  2. UMR1202 Biodiversity Genes & Communities, INRA, 33612, Cestas, France

    Jean-Charles Samalens

  3. MR1202 Biodiversity Genes & Communities, Université Bordeaux 1, 33405, Talence, France

    Jean-Charles Samalens

  4. ICAE-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, 5101, Mérida, Venezuela

    Raphaël Dulhoste

  5. IFN, Forest National Inventory, 33000, Bordeaux, France

    Rémi Teissier Du Cros

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  1. Annabel J. Porté
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  2. Jean-Charles Samalens
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  3. Raphaël Dulhoste
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  4. Rémi Teissier Du Cros
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  5. Alexandre Bosc
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Correspondence to Annabel J. Porté.

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Porté, A.J., Samalens, JC., Dulhoste, R. et al. Using cover measurements to estimate aboveground understorey biomass in Maritime pine stands. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 307 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009005

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009005

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