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A non-destructive method for estimating woody biomass and carbon stocks of Vitellaria paradoxa in southern Mali, West Africa

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Abstract

The shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, shields people, crops and livestock in West African parkland agroforestry systems from climate variability. Accurate estimates of accumulated biomass of such key species may support ways to secure financial incentives within global climate policies. In this quest, variation in allometric relations used for biomass (carbon stock) estimates on the basis of stem diameter matters, but parameters a and b of the standard format (AGB = a Db; AGB = aboveground biomass, D = stem diameter) are correlated and are directly related to tree shapes. Functional branch analysis (FBA) allows non-destructive derivation of allometrics. For Koutiala and Yanfolila shea populations empirical branching parameters were scale-independent, matching FBA assumptions. Allometry (AGB = 169 (D/20)2.64 and AGB = 146 (D/20)2.65, kg tree−1) implied 22%, 16% and 11% larger vegetative aboveground biomass in Koutiala than in Yanfolila at stem diameters (D) of 10, 20 and 32 cm, respectively. Below-ground biomass predictions (BGBi = 8.73 (Di/10)2.35 and BGBi = 8.16 (Di/10)2.38, kg per proximal root) differed − 6% and − 15% for root diameters Di of 10 and 32 cm, respectively. On a dry weight basis, the shoot:root ratio was 2.7 and 2.9, respectively for the two sites. Stand-level above-and below-ground carbon stocks in Koutiala (2.16 ± 0.44 and 0.8 ± 0.15 Mg C ha−1) were not significantly different from those in Yanfolila (3.21 ± 0.60 and 1.26 ± 0.21 Mg C ha−1), respectively. Further research is required to include (potential) fruit production to the plant architectural model.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) program; the International Foundation for Science (IFS) and the Committee on Scientific, Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Conference (COMSTECH) (Grant Number NO. D/5618-1), and Forest, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) CRP, which are gratefully acknowledged. We extend our thanks to the staff of the World Agroforestry (ICRAF)- Mali office for logistical support during the fieldwork and supervisory work. We thank the farmers for allowing us to work in their fields.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), Centre Régional de Recherche Agronomique de Sotuba, ESPGRN BP 262, Bamako, Mali

    Kapoury Sanogo

  2. World Agroforestry (ICRAF), West and Central Africa Regional Office, 06 BP 9478, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

    Kapoury Sanogo

  3. World Agroforestry (ICRAF), West and Central Africa Regional Office, Sc/ Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), 06 BP 9478, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

    Jules Bayala

  4. Center for Resilient Communities, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS-2481, Moscow, ID, USA

    Grace B. Villamor

  5. Laboratoire de Botanique, Unité de Formation et de Recherche Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, BP 165, Abidjan 31, Côte d’Ivoire

    Soro Dodiomon

  6. Southeast Asia Regional Programme, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), PO Box 161, Bogor, 16001, Indonesia

    Meine van Noordwijk

  7. Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Meine van Noordwijk

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  1. Kapoury Sanogo
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  2. Jules Bayala
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  3. Grace B. Villamor
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  4. Soro Dodiomon
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  5. Meine van Noordwijk
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Correspondence to Kapoury Sanogo.

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Sanogo, K., Bayala, J., Villamor, G.B. et al. A non-destructive method for estimating woody biomass and carbon stocks of Vitellaria paradoxa in southern Mali, West Africa. Agroforest Syst 95, 135–150 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-020-00578-3

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