Estimating Diameter at Breast Height from Measurements of Illegally Logged Stumps in Cambodian Lowland Dry Evergreen Forest

• ITO Eriko

  Soil-Plant Ecosystem Group, Hokkaido Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI)

• FURUYA Naoyuki

  Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences

• TITH Bora

  Forest-Wildlife Research and Development Institute

• KETH Samkol

  Forest-Wildlife Research and Development Institute

• CHANDARARITY Ly

  Forest-Wildlife Research and Development Institute

• CHANN Sophal

  Forest-Wildlife Research and Development Institute

• KANZAKI Mamoru

  Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University

• AWAYA Yoshio

  River Basin Research Center, Gifu University

• NIIYAMA Kaoru

  Tohoku Research Center, FFPRI

• OHNUKI Yasuhiro

  FFPRI

• ARAKI Makoto

  FFPRI

• SATO Tamotsu

  FFPRI

• MATSUMOTO Mitsuo

  FFPRI

• KIYONO Yoshiyuki

  FFPRI

Abstract

The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD) initiative requires accurate estimates of carbon stock changes in forested areas. However, estimating carbon emissions from stumps of various heights left by illegal loggers is difficult. To remedy this problem, we examined two methods of estimating diameter at breast height (DBH) from a reference diameter observation measured at any stump height. The one-reference diameter (OD) observation model estimates DBH from a single diameter observation using empirical coefficients derived mainly from emergent dipterocarp trees. The two-reference diameter (TD) observation model estimates DBH from two diameter observations and assumes a logarithmic relationship between diameter and height. Prediction data to establish the models were collected in Cambodian lowland evergreen forests that are undergoing intensive illegal logging of emergent dipterocarp trees for timber. The OD model performed better than the TD model in predicting DBH and is extremely practical, as it requires only a single diameter observation. Validation data previously collected in the Southeast Asian tropical forests established the general validity of the OD model. This study may improve the reliability of the REDD scheme by providing a reliable method to assess carbon emissions from Southeast Asian tropical forests.

Journal

• Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly: JARQ

  Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly: JARQ 44 (4), 435-446, 2010

  Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences

Keywords

• biomass estimation
• carbon stock change
• dipterocarp
• forest mensuration
• REDD

Details

• CRID: 1390282679677063296
• NII Article ID: 130002147904
• DOI: 10.6090/jarq.44.435
• ISSN: 21858896
• ISSN: 00213551
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed