Tree Allometrics

Equations / Aboveground biomass

Total AGB from DBH, power law (Eq. 12)

Aboveground biomassSeven dominant canopy species (Carapa guianensis, Inga coruscans, Laetia procera, Pentaclethra macroloba, Stryphnodendron microstachyum, Tapirira guianensis, Vochysia ferruginea)Costa RicanaturalRead from the original paper

Fitted on these 7 species: Carapa guianensis, Inga coruscans, Laetia procera, Pentaclethra macroloba, Stryphnodendron microstachyum, Tapirira guianensis, Vochysia ferruginea

4 of the 7 species it was fitted on · iNaturalist photos, hover for credit
Equation

As printed (Table 5, Eq. 12)

ln B tot = c + a ln DBH; c −7.27 ± 1.37; a 2.07 ± 0.31

In this library's units, ready to compute (kg)

Aboveground biomass = 1000 * exp(-7.27 + 2.07 * ln(D))
D
Diameter at breast height (1.3 m), cm

No back-transform correction factor is stated, so none is applied. Only trees with DBH ≥ 60 cm were harvested; the authors warn the models tend to overestimate outside 60-105 cm. Table 5 gives B tot in 'mg/tree', meaning Mg (Table 3 reports total biomass in Mg, mean 6.7 Mg); the canonical expression multiplies by 1000 to give kg. Recommended by the authors because it needs DBH only.

Source
19 individual trees were measured before harvest
Trees measured · Methods, p. 3
adjusted well in the interval of diameters sampled (60–105 cm)
Largest DBH · Discussion, p. 7
Trees measured
19
DBH range
60–105 cm
R²
0.71
Method
Least-squares regression (SAS), r2 is the adjusted coefficient of determination
Where
Tirimbina (Sarapiquí) and Corinto (Guápiles), northern Costa Rica
Last checked
2026-11-02
Calculate
6,054
Aboveground biomass (kg)
2,846
Carbon (kg), ×0.47
10,434
CO₂e (kg), ×44/12
Fitted DBH range05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00020406080100120140160DBH (cm)Aboveground biomass (kg)Aboveground biomass

Shaded: the DBH range the model was fitted on. Other inputs held at the values above.

Checks this equation passes

On every build, the library's form and the paper's own form (in its units) must both give these values within 1%.

InputsExpectedWe getFrom
D = 806,0546,054Computed from the printed form
computed from the printed coefficients

Report a problem with this equation · JSON

Related

Compare these curves