Estimating Aboveground Biomass (AGB) Throughout the Pacific

Abstract

Aboveground biomass (AGB) is a significant carbon pool in forests, making AGB a good indicator of forest health and carbon storage. AGB has been studied on multiple scales, in which allometric equations were developed to find relationships between AGB and tree parameters. However, despite the presence of AGB studies for specific sites in the Pacific Islands, there is a lack of AGB comparative studies or data syntheses focused on the Pacific Islands as a whole. This study synthesized data on AGB, tree height H, land cover, and Pacific Island forest community to develop allometric equations using linear and polynomial regression models for trees in the Pacific based on H as the main parameter. This study found polynomial relationships between AGB and H for shrub and herbaceous covers. Specifically, AGB = 1.76 H^2 + -51.01 H + 346.53 for shrub cover (adjusted R^2 = 0.94, n = 39), and AGB = 1.11 H^2 + -81.97 H + 1167.20 for herbaceous cover (adjusted R^2 = 0.71, n = 79). However, future research and data collection would be necessary to develop allometric equations for tree cover and barren land cover. No significant correlation was found between AGB and H for Pacific Island forest community. This study may help with forest management and conservation practices, along with carbon sequestration and storage practices in forests, in the Pacific Islands. This study may also contribute to Pacific-led climate change mitigation and adaptation methods and initiatives.