Assessing the biomass of shrubs typical of Mediterranean pre-forest communities

Abstract

One of the most outstanding issues of current environmental research is the need of reliable assessments of carbon stock (i.e. above-ground (a.g.) and below-ground biomass, deadwood, litter, and organic soil matter) within forest ecosystems. Although shrub vegetation plays an important role in accumulating carbon in many Mediterranean environments, there is still very little knowledge on the carbon they store. In this article, we analyze the a.g. carbon stock of several Mediterranean shrubby communities in Sicily (Italy), dominated by Pistacia lentiscus, Chamaerops humilis, Euphorbia dendroides and Spartium junceum. Plant samples for each species were selected, and morphometric attributes (height, crown diameter, diameter at breast height, etc.) were measured to establish models for estimating a.g. biomass. Dendrometric data were also used to support the assessment of shrub biomass at community level by coupling them with the coverage of the considered woody species estimated from several hundreds of phytosociological relevés carried out on pre-forest Sicilian communities. Although the results of such an approach have to be considered as rough assessments, the trial proves interesting, given the lack of information on stand biomass of pre-forest vegetation within the Mediterraean region.

Keywords:

• Pistacia lentiscus
• Chamaerops humilis
• Euphorbia dendroides
• Spartium junceum
• shrub inventory

Acknowledgements

This research was carried out under the programme “Technical Assistance to the Forestry Department ofthe Sicilian Region” for the assessment of the “Regional Forest Plan” (Measure of 7:01 POR Sicilia 2000–2006 – ID 1999.IT16.IPO.0.11/7.01/2.49 Cod/0003) carried out by the Accademia Italiana di Scienze Forestali and by the DemetraDepartment of Palermo University (Project Coordinator: Prof. Orazio Ciancio), and within the project “The impacts of secondary succession processes on carbon storage in soil and biomass, and on biodiversity, and the role of dispersal centers and vectors for recolonization processes” financed bythe Italian MIUR (PRIN). We are also grateful to Mrs. Maria Bella Di Stella and Salvatore Ciccarello for revising the English version, and to the staff of thelibrary ofthe Faculty of Agriculture of Palermo University for the facilities provided during the literature search. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers whose criticisms and suggestions helped to improve the final version of the paper.