Carbon storage estimation of tropical urban trees by an improved allometric model for aboveground biomass based on terrestrial laser scanning

《Carbon storage estimation of tropical urban trees by an improved allometric model for aboveground biomass based on terrestrial laser scanning》

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关键字: Urban trees;Aboveground biomass;Allometric modelling;Terrestrial laser scanning;Urban carbon sequestration

作者单位: Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, National Parks Board, Singapore;Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, New Jersey, USA;Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, National Parks Board, Singapore;Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, New Jersey, USA

摘要: Current estimations of the carbon stored by urban trees are usually based on allometric models developed for natural forests. However, urban trees grow in different conditions, and their architecture might differ, thus models developed specially for urban trees are needed. With the aim of improving estimations of carbon storage and sequestration in tropical cities, we developed a model for Singapore’s urban trees based on three-dimensional data acquired on standing trees using a terrestrial LiDAR. This model relates the aboveground biomass (AGB) with the trunk diameter, wood specific density and total height of the tree. Its performance was compared to the performance of selected models for tropical forests and urban trees. As expected, being locally derived, our model reduced the bias of both individual and plot level estimates. The AGB estimates compared to those retrieved from the LiDAR showed a deviation of < 3% at plot level and 36–57% at individual scale. We applied this model to trees of a neighbourhood, where our team has investigated the role of urban vegetation in offseting anthropogenic emissions, as an example of how it could assist Singapore’s efforts to verify climate change mitigation measures.