Browsing by Subject "aboveground biomass"
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Item Open Access A Comparison of Aboveground Biomass in Mature Old-Field Forests and Hardwood Forests of the Piedmont Using High Resolution LiDAR Data(2015-12-07) Harrington, MaryAirborne scanning LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a promising technique for efficient and accurate forest volume and biomass mapping due to its capacity for direct measurement of the three-dimensional vegetation structure. In this study, small-footprint, multiple return LiDAR data was collected over our 58 mi2 study site in western South Carolina. The area was heavily farmed for about 150 years until farmers abandoned the fields in the early 1900s. Today, mature old-field pine forests grow on the abandoned agricultural land. This study used LiDAR data to compare aboveground biomass (ABG) of old-field forests and neighboring reference hardwood stands. Metrics were derived from the LiDAR data and a step-wise multiple linear regression was calibrated with field measurements (R2 =0.722, F2,32 =45.23, p < 0.001). The resulting model was used to predict the distribution of AGB across the site. A paired t-test indicated that mean AGB was significantly higher in reference hardwood sites than in old-field forests (t=5.22, df= 21, p < 0.001).Item Open Access Forests, Wildfires, and their Link with Weather and Landscape Variation: A spatial and temporal analysis within Zambian GMAs(2024-04-29) Merritt, MelissaDeforestation rates in Zambia have been on the rise in recent decades, accompanied by growing concerns about wildfires exacerbated by climate change and population growth. Because of these trends, understanding forest structure and wildfire intensity, as well as their underlying drivers, is imperative. In this project, the research was conducted within two game management areas, adjacent to Kafue National Park, a cornerstone of one of the world's largest protected regions. The fieldwork for this study involved surveying 30 forest plots to analyze above-ground biomass distributions and identify the spatial environmental factors affecting them. I evaluated the viability of estimating regional above-ground biomass distributions by integrating Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data with plot-level above-ground biomass data. Additionally, burn severity was evaluated using satellite-derived dNBR vegetation indices, with comparisons made to temporal variations in weather patterns. These findings are anticipated to offer valuable insights for shaping future wildfire management strategies and carbon mitigation efforts.Item Open Access Old growth Afrotropical forests critical for maintaining forest carbon(Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2020-10-01) Poulsen, JR; Medjibe, VP; White, LJT; Miao, Z; Banak-Ngok, L; Beirne, C; Clark, CJ; Cuni-Sanchez, A; Disney, M; Doucet, JL; Lee, ME; Lewis, SL; Mitchard, E; Nuñez, CL; Reitsma, J; Saatchi, S; Scott, CTAim: Large trees [≥ 70 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)] contribute disproportionately to aboveground carbon stock (AGC) across the tropics but may be vulnerable to changing climate and human activities. Here we determine the distribution, drivers and threats to large trees and high carbon forest. Location: Central Africa. Time period: Current. Major taxa studied: Trees. Methods: Using Gabon's new National Resource Inventory of 104 field sites, AGC was calculated from 67,466 trees from 578 species and 97 genera. Power and Michaelis–Menten models assessed the contribution of large trees to AGC. Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of AGC, large trees, and stand variables were modelled using Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) weights to calculate average regression coefficients for all p. ossible models. Results: Mean AGC for trees ≥ 10 cm DBH in Gabonese forestlands was 141.7 Mg C/ha, with averages of 166.6, 171.3 and 96.6 Mg C/ha in old growth, concession and secondary forest. High carbon forests occurred where large trees are most abundant: 31% of AGC was stored in large trees (2.3% of all stems). Human activities largely drove variation in AGC and large trees, but climate and edaphic conditions also determined stand variables (basal area, tree height, wood density, stem density). AGC and large trees increased with distance from human settlements; AGC was 40% lower in secondary than primary and concession forests and 33% higher in protected than non-managed areas. Main conclusions: AGC and large trees were negatively associated with human activities, highlighting the importance of forest management. Redefining large trees as ≥ 50 cm DBH (4.3% more stems) would account for 20% more AGC. This study demonstrates that protecting relatively undisturbed forests can be disproportionately effective in conserving carbon and suggests that including sustainable forestry in programs like reduced emissions for deforestation and forest degradation could maintain carbon dense forests in logging concessions that are a large proportion of remaining Central African forests.