This data set is a compilation of individual tree and shrub above-ground biomass (dry weight), stem diameter, height, and associated auxiliary information about the sites from which the trees or shrubs were sampled. The data were derived from numerous different projects over the last 5 decades. However, the project under which support was given to collate these datasets was Australia's Department of the Environments Methodology Development Program's Complex Wood System Project (MDP-CWS). The objective of the MDP-CWS project was to develop tools and information to underpin increased land manager participation in the domestic carbon market; the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF). However, the intention is that this database will be expanded over time and have much greater use than just supporting carbon accounting methodologies.
See publication for details: "Keryn I. Paul, John Larmour, Alison Specht, Ayalsew Zerihun, Peter Ritson, Stephen H. Roxburgh, Stan Sochacki, Tom Lewis, Craig V.M. Barton, Jacqueline R. England, Michael Battaglia, Anthony O'Grady, Elizabeth Pinkard, Grahame Applegate, Justin Jonson, Kim Brooksbank, Rob Sudmeyer, Dan Wildy, Kelvin D. Montagu, Matt Bradford, Don Butler, Trevor Hobbs, Testing the generality of below-ground biomass allometry across plant functional types, Forest Ecology and Management. 432: 102-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.08.043.
Paul, K.I., Larmour, J., Specht, A., Zerihun, A., Ritson, P., Roxburgh, S.H., Sochacki, S., Lewis, T., Barton, C.V.M., England, J.R., Battaglia, M., O’Grady, A., Pinkard, E., Applegate, G., Jonson, J., Brooksbank, K., Sudmeyer, R., Wildy, D., Montagu, K.D., Bradford, M., Butler, D., Hobbs, T., 2019. Testing the generality of below-ground biomass allometry across plant functional types. Forest Ecology and Management 432, 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.08.043
Credit
We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We thank the Australian Government's Department of the Environment for funding this work. Assistance with data collation was also provided by Coral Allan, Grant Allan, John Bartle, Jason Barnetson, Rick Bennett, Coline Bourru, Mark Brammar, Steven Bray, Mila Bristow, Don Butler, Rob Chambers, Vanessa Chewings, Robin Cromer, Mike Cully, Eve Damm, Micah Davies, Alex Drew, Robert Eager, Tom Fairman, Ben Finn, David Freudenberger, Sean Gleason, Bob Hingston, Mark Hunt, Bruce Hogg, Laura Kmoch, Rob Law, Hamish Luck, Tracey May, Rick Giles, Gordon McLachlan, Geoff Minchin, Simon Murphy, Matt Nicholson, Jaymie Norris, Len Norris, Craig Neumann, Anthony O'Connell, David Osborne, Dailiang Peng, John Raison, Sandra Roberts, Harry Roberts, Ben Rose, Katelyn Ryan, Tim Smith, Adam Smith, Scott Swift, Mervyn Tucker, Brendan Vollemaere, Paul Warburton, Peter Walsh, Ray Wilson, Stephanie Wilson, Alex Winter, Ralph Woodford, Fabinao Ximenes, and Byron Yeo. We also thank the property owners and managers who allowed us to sample their trees for above-ground biomass. In addition to the organisations of the contributing authors, we also acknowledge Oil Mallee Association of Australia Inc, Carbon Neutral, Northern Agricultural Catchments Council, Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting, RIRDC, University of New England, Queensland Forestry Department, and WA Plantation Resources. Older datasets of D. Ashton, J. Lewis, W. Forrest, J. Dargavel, W. Westman, R. Rogers, P. Baldwin, H. Stewart, F. Hingston, M. Lambert, R. Cromer are acknowledged. See sources below. Forrest WG (1969) Variations in the accumulation, distribution and movement of mineral nutrients in radiata pine plantations. Ph.D. Thesis. Australian National University, Canberra. Dargavel JB (1970) Provisional tree weight tables for radiata pine. Australian Forestry, 34: 131-140. Forrest W, Ovington J (1970) Organic Matter Changes in an Age Series of Pinus radiata Plantations. Journal of Applied Ecology, 7, 177-186. Ashton D (1976) Phosphorus in Forest Ecosystems at Beenak, Victoria. Journal of Ecology, 64, 171-186. Westman, WE, Rogers RW (1977) Biomass and structure of a subtropical eucalypt forest, north Stradbroke Island. Australian Journal of Botany, 25, 171-191. Lewis JW (1978) Ecological studies of coastal forests and its regeneration after mining. PhD Thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane. Lambert MJ (1979) Sulphur relationships of native and exotic species. MSc(Hons) thesis, Macquarie Uni. 170pp. Cromer R, Williams E (1982) Biomass and Nutrient Accumulation in a Planted E. globulus (Labill.) Fertilizer Trial. Australian Journal of Botany, 30, 265-278. Baldwin PJ, Stewart HTL (1987) Distribution, length and weight of roots in young plantations of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex. Maiden irrigated with recycled water. Plant Soil, 97, 243-252 Cromer RN, Cameron DM, Rance SJ, Ryan PA, Brown M (1993). Response to nutrients in Eucalyptus grandis. 1. Biomass accumulation. Forest Ecology and Management, 62, 211-230. Hingston F, Galbraith J (1998) Application of the process-based model BIOMASS to Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus plantations on ex-farmland in south western Australia. Forest Ecology and Management, 106, 157-168. Hingston F, Galabraith J, Jones M (1990) Dimensional data for trees at several sites in northern Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest. DFFP Division of Forestry and Forestry Products User Series. No. 11.
Purpose
The data on individual tree or shrub biomass were derived from numerous projects over the last five decades. Support was given to collate these datasets under the Complex Woody Systems Project (MDP-CWS) funded by the Australian Department of the Environment's Methodology Development Program and CSIRO. The objective of the MDP-CWS project was to develop tools and information to underpin increased land manager participation in the domestic carbon market; the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF). However, the intention is that this database will be expanded over time and have broader use beyond supporting carbon accounting methodologies.
Lineage
Biomass sampling: Various methods were used. But all involved harvesting individual trees or shrubs and measuring the fresh weight of the above-ground biomass. Sub-sampling was used to determine moisture content. Then dry weight of the above-ground biomass was calculated.