Allometric equations for predicting the aboveground biomass of square bamboo, Chimonobambusa quadrangularis

ABSTRACT

Allometric equations for predicting the aboveground biomass of square bamboo, Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Franceschi) Makino, were developed. To this end, 20 samples of C. quadrangularis were harvested, and the aboveground biomass of the culm and that of the branches and leaves were measured. The whole aboveground biomass of C. quadrangularis ranged from 128 g to 2,075 g, with the average of 910 g. The results showed that the culm diameter at breast height (D) was a better practical predictor of aboveground biomass than other culm attributes such as total culm length (H) and D²H. The allometric power exponent between biomass and D was larger in the culm (2.258) than in branches and leaves (1.262). The aboveground biomass partitioning to the culm increased from 46% to 75% with increasing D, which was lower than that of other bamboo species. This implies that the branches and leaves should be the indispensable components when quantifying the aboveground biomass of C. quadrangularis. The allometric equations presented here will be useful and beneficial when establishing the sustainable management strategy as well as evaluating the site productivity of C. quadrangularis stands.

KEYWORDS:

• Aboveground biomass
• allometric equation
• biomass partitioning
• Chimonobambusa quadrangularis
• square bamboo

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank the members of the Shirakidani Dream Factory (especially the chairman Mr. Kazuhiro Nomura), the staff of Nankoku City Office (especially Ms. Yuko Kitamura, Ms. Rika Tamura and Mr. Masashi Ohtani), and Mr. Yoshinari Yamanaka (a member of the Nankoku City Council) for their consent and support for the field sampling at Shirakidani District, Nankoku City, Kochi Prefecture. Field assistance was provided by students of the Faculty of Environmental Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University, the Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University and the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported in parts by KAKENHI [grant numbers: 18H03818, 18KT0037, 19H05359, and 19K03766].