Tree allometry

<h2 id="assessment-of-forest-biomass-and-carbon-stocks">Assessment of forest biomass and carbon stocks</h2>
In 2013, the <a href="/facts/Food_and_Agriculture_Organization_of_the_United_Nations/13WV8JJK">Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations</a> launched <a href="http://www.fao.org/forestry/databases/allometric-equation/en/">GlobAllomeTree</a>, a web-based platform designed to improve global access to tree allometric equations and support forest and climate-change project developers, researchers, scientists and foresters to assess forest volume and biomass, and carbon stocks. Jointly developed by <a href="/facts/FAO/13WV8JJK">FAO</a>, the French Research Centre <a href="/facts/CIRAD/YBXonRRr">CIRAD</a> and <a href="/facts/Tuscia_University/rpdUAtEc">Tuscia University</a> of Italy, the GlobAllomeTree platform provides a consistent and harmonized database of tree and <a href="/facts/Stand_level_modelling/WW0KQy8m">stand</a> volume and biomass allometric equations; software to compare equations and assess variables of interests, such as volume, biomass and carbon stocks; access to scientific research information on allometric equations; and access to tutorials, manuals and documentation supporting the development and use of tree allometric equations.
In 2012, FAO and CIRAD published a manual for building tree volume and biomass allometric equations for students, technicians or researchers working to assess forest resources such as volume, biomass and carbon stocks for commercial, bioenergy or <a href="/facts/Climate_change_mitigation/GgkoeWMk">climate change mitigation</a> purposes.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a>

<h2 id="methodology">Methodology</h2>
First thing to do is select a group of some subject (for forestry: trees). Then measure several easily measured attributes such as DBH, height, species, etc. Graph the results and perform a regression analysis and transform some of the variables until a correct <a href="/facts/Regression_analysis/n6z5Tf7K">regression</a> is found.
There are different tree species compositions in each region in the world and most of those regions have at least one equation that estimates tree volume from DBH. Research and the application of forest allometry have meshed over time to develop these quick equations to accurately estimate how much volume a particular forest stand holds.
The general allometric equation for mathematics and science is

Y
        =
        β
        
          X
          
            α
          
        
      
    
    {\displaystyle Y=\beta X^{\alpha }}

where Y is a biological variable (such as tree height or DBH), β is a proportionality coefficient, α is the scaling exponent (which is equal to the slope of the line when plotted on logarithmic coordinates), and X is some physical measure such as body volume or body mass(M). While α is often quite similar between very diverse organisms, β differs from species to species. Because the proportionality constants β and the scaling exponents α are often denoted using Greek letters, it is desirable to use β as the proportionality coefficient versus α, since α could be misread as the symbol for "proportional".
A well-known allometric equation relates metabolic rate to body mass: Y = βM 3/4.
In <a href="/facts/Forestry/puvod5MV">forestry</a> the equation takes on many forms in order to represent relationships between the many various attributes of tree size and growth. Below is an example:

Y
        =
        
          b
          
            0
          
        
        +
        
          b
          
            1
          
        
        X
      
    
    {\displaystyle Y=b_{0}+b_{1}X}

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Biomass_allocation/9YyvmnG2">Biomass allocation</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Da_Vinci_branching_rule/handzeJh">da Vinci branching rule</a></li></ul>

<ol><li><a href="http://www.cazv.cz/attachments/2-Cienciala.pdf">Biomass functions applicable to European beech</a>[permanent dead link] E. CIENCIALA, M. ČERNÝ, J. APLTAUER, Z. EXNEROVÁ, JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE, 51, 2005 (4): p. 147–154;</li></ol>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Smith, W.B., and G.J. Brand. 1983 Allometric biomass equations for 98 species of herbs, shrubs, and small trees. Research note NC-299. USDA Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station, St. Paul, MN 8p. <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Avery and Burkhart. Forest Measurements. Copyright 2002 by McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. New York. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">Picard N., Saint-André L., Henry M. 2012. Manual for building tree volume and biomass allometric equations: from field measurement to prediction. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, and Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Montpellier <a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3058e/i3058e.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3058e/i3058e.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Tree allometry open-in-new

Tree allometry