Measuring bulrush culm relationships to estimate plant biomass within a southern California treatment wetland
Assessment of emergent vegetation biomass can be time consuming and labor intensive. To establish a less onerous, yet accurate method, for determining emergent plant biomass than by direct measurements we collected vegetation data over a six-year period and modeled biomass using easily obtained variables: culm (stem) diameter, culm height and culm density. From 1998 through 2005, we collected emergent vegetation samples (Schoenoplectus californicus andSchoenoplectus acutus) at a constructed treatment wetland in San Jacinto, California during spring and fall. Various statistical models were run on the data to determine the strongest relationships. We found that the nonlinear relationship: CB=β0DHβ110ε">CB=β0DHβ110ε, where CB was dry culm biomass (g m−2), DH was density of culms × average height of culms in a plot, and β0 and β1 were parameters to estimate, proved to be the best fit for predicting dried-live above-ground biomass of the two Schoenoplectus species. The random error distribution, ε, was either assumed to be normally distributed for mean regression estimates or assumed to be an unspecified continuous distribution for quantile regression estimates.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2010 |
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Title | Measuring bulrush culm relationships to estimate plant biomass within a southern California treatment wetland |
DOI | 10.1007/s13157-010-0018-x |
Authors | Joan S. (Thullen) Daniels, Brian S. Cade, James J. Sartoris |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Wetlands |
Index ID | 70174871 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Fort Collins Science Center |