Aboveground biomass estimation in intervened and non-intervened Nothofagus pumilio forests using remotely sensed data

Abstract

Forest inventory data can be used along with remotely sensed data to estimate biomass and carbon stocks over large and inaccessible forested areas. In this study, the relationship between satellite-derived multispectral data and forest variables from intervened and non-intervened Nothofagus pumilio forest stands located in the Magellan region of Chile was examined, in order to quantify the over bark volume (OBV) and aboveground tree biomass (AGTB). Four vegetation parameters – the green normalised difference vegetation index (GNDVI), normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), simple ratio (SR) and vegetation cover fraction (VCF) – were retrieved from an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image of the study area. The results indicate that only the VCF presents significant differences among intervened and non-intervened stands. The best OBV and AGTB models (R² = 0.58) were found using the SR index and the VCF as predictors. This result could be transferred to estimate biomass and volume in other Nothofagus pumilio forests with similar conditions. Moreover, it can be used to assess temporal carbon changes.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the companies, Forestal y Ganadera Monte Alto Ltda. and Salfa Corp. for allowing us to use their forests for this study. This study was carried out under a cooperative project between the Forest Science Faculty of the Universidad de Chile and the Wald-Zentrum of the Westfäliche Wilhelms-Universität Münster, supported by the Internationales Institut für Wald und Holz scholarship.