Modeling of above ground biomass for Mimosa scabrella Bentham of native stands from the Curitiba metropolitan region.

Abstract

This research aimed to model the aerial biomass of Mimosa scabrella Bentham of native stands from the Curitiba metropolitan region. The data for this research work came from 190 trees located in several counties of the Curitiba metropolitan region. Total height, crow height, stem height, DBH and crow diameter of every one of the 194 trees were measured. Every sample tree was felled down and sectioned in the following components: stem, thick branches (diameter ≥ 4 cm), thin branches (diameter < 4 cm), foliage, and dead branches. The green weight of each tree component was weighted in the field. Small sub samples of each tree green component were also weighted in the field and brought to the laboratory for oven dry until unchanged weight. Thus it was obtained the dry weight of the whole component of the 194 trees by extrapolation of the sample weights. DBH, total height and stem height were the independent variables more adequate for estimating dry weights for the components firewood, stem and total. The adjusted equations to estimate dry weight of the leaves and of the branches did not present satisfactory results, with high standard errors and low coefficients of determination (Raj²).