Examination of field techniques for the estimation of above ground biomass on five Chihuahuan Desert shrub species

Title	Examination of field techniques for the estimation of above ground biomass on five Chihuahuan Desert shrub species
Publication Type	Thesis
Year of Publication	1983
Authors	Molinero HBruno
Number of Pages	27
Date Published	1983
University	New Mexico State University
City	Las Cruces, New Mexico
Thesis Type	M.S. Thesispp
Call Number	00220
Keywords	Acacia,biomass estimate, biomass,shrub, dissertation, dissertations, Flourensia,biomass estimate, Gutierrezia,also SEE <Xanthocephalum, Gutierrezia,biomass estimate, Krameria,biomass estimate, Larrea,biomass estimate, shrub,biomass estimate, technique, shrub biomass, theses, thesis
Abstract	A group of common Chihuahuan Desert shrubs having highly varied growth forms were studied in an attempt to see if standardized field measurement techniques could be used for the prediction of above ground biomass. The most efficient (best estimation for least time expenditure) field measurement was obtained for each species. It was found that the techniques yielded reliable results for plants which were of medium to large size for the species, but biomass predictions were unreliable from measurements made upon plants which were small (reproduction) for the species. It was found that it is not necessary to obtain volume or canopy area values to estimate biomass, but that single field measurements could be used. Formulas were developed for these measurements. The biomass of two species, Larrea tridentata and Acacia constricta, which have growth forms resembling an inverted cone, could be most efficiently estimated using a single field measurement-internal height. In the case of two other species, Gutierrezia sarothrae and Krameria parvifolia, which tend to be more compact and regularly globose a single measurement-maximum diameter was the most efficient biomass estimator. External height measurements were found to be the best for Flourensia cernua.