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Root biomass of a dry deciduous tropical forest in Mexico

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Abstract

The deciduous tropical dry forest at Chamela (Jalisco, Mexico) occurs in a seasonal climate with eight rainless (November through June) and four wet months (700 mm annual precipitation). The forest reaches a mean height of 10 m. Tree density in the research area was 4700 trees per ha with a basal area at breast height of 23 m2 per ha. The above-and below-ground biomass of trees, shrubs, and lianas was 73.6 Mg ha−1 and 31 Mg ha−1, respectively. A root:shoot biomass ratio of 0.42 was calculated. Nearly two thirds of all roots occur in the 0–20 cm soil layer and 29% of all roots have a diameter of less than 5 mm.

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Castellanos, J., Maass, M. & Kummerow, J. Root biomass of a dry deciduous tropical forest in Mexico. Plant Soil 131, 225–228 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009452

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009452

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