Potential species for high biomass production and allometric modelling of even-aged native tropical lowland trees of Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The use of native trees is necessary for land restoration and the sequestration of carbon that is stored in forest biomass production in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the biomass prediction model used for native tropical lowland trees of Indonesia is limited to only specific locations and focuses on aboveground biomass (AGB). This study aimed to select and evaluate potential native tree species for high biomass and to develop the best allometric model for estimating tree biomass production (AGB, belowground/BGB, and total/TB) in lowland ecosystems in Indonesia. Trees were selected using the following five criteria: nativeness, ecosystem type, morphological appearance, multipropagation ability, and economic value. Biomass content was quantified for 102 sample trees (56 trees aged 4 years and 46 trees aged 8 years), using the destructive method. Effective growth biomass and species ecological data indicated five species as potential trees for land restoration in tropical lowlands of Indonesia: Litsea garciae, Terminalia bellirica, Pterospermum javanicum, Anisoptera marginata, and Cananga odorata. The best allometric model of this study is highly recommended for implementation with native trees of tropical lowlands in Indonesia, especially those in early stages (less than 8 years).

Keywords:
aboveground biomass; belowground biomass; total biomass; species selection; restoration; tropical lowland