Allometric models for estimating fuelwood and above-ground wood dry mass of pruned Faidherbia albida trees in northern Cameroon
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In Cameroon’s Sudano-Sahelian zone, rising fuelwood demand is jeopardising Faidherbia albida agroforestry parklands. Faced with these alarming pressures and ongoing climate challenges, evaluating sustainable management practices and the contribution of F. albida agroforestry parklands to climate change mitigation has become a pressing priority. In these agro-ecosystems, total and rotational crown pruning are common practices, traditionally aimed at fuelwood and livestock feed collection. However, its impact on the trade-off between leaf removal and pod production remains poorly documented, particularly regarding long-term fuelwood yield potential. This research aims to develop tools for estimating the above-ground wood dry mass of F. albida components in the context of their use as renewable fuelwood and their carbon storage potential. Allometric equations for the different tree components were developed using data from the most recent pruning event (2023) of F. albida trees that had undergone three complete crown-pruning cycles over the past two decades. The predictors used to estimate fuelwood and above-ground wood dry mass were diameter at breast height (D, in cm), crown area (Ca, in m²), and total tree height (H, in m). The best-performing equations for each tree components relied on structurally meaningful combinations of these variables: (i) D²Ca, capturing the combined influence of stem size and crown development for estimating fuelwood obtained after pruning (DWpr, R²adj = 0.84) and the total above-ground wood dry mass of F. albida (TDWb, R²adj = 0.85), corresponding to the sum of DWpr and the post-pruning wood dry mass remaining after pruning (DWUpr); and (ii) D, reflecting the effect of stem diameter for predicting DWUpr, (R²adj = 0.76). The best crown area-only models for predicting DWpr and TDWb showed strong explanatory power, with adjusted R² values of 0.82 and 0.64, respectively. The integration of structural characteristics visible from space, such as the tree crown area, provides promising prospects for large-scale bio-mass mapping using satellite images and remote sensing methods.
Source: BOIS & FORETS DES TROPIQUES
Institutions: Center for International Forestry Research, Centre for International Forestry Research, World Agroforestry Centre, Center for International Forestry Research, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Université de Montpellier, Forests and Societies, Institut de Recherche Agricole pour le Développement, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Ecologie fonctionnelle & biogéochimie des sols & des agro-systèmes, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, University of Maroua
Language: English
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Climate action
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7167666459