Modelling of above ground biomass (AGB), stand volume and carbon stocks of eucalyptus plantations using worldview-2 imagery in Sabah, Malaysia / Ahmad Farid Mohsin

Eucalyptus is one of forest plantation species established to provide sustainable timber supply to meet market demand for wood-based industries. However, managing an extensive area of forest plantation can be labour intensive and time consuming. Remote sensing provides effective tools to gather stand information for plantation planning, management and sustainable development. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine the relationships between the spectral radiance recorded from WorldView-2 satellite imagery and stand attributes of Eucalyptus plantations (ii) to develop predictive models for estimating stand volume, above ground biomass (AGB) and carbon stocks of Eucalyptus plantations, and (iii) to demonstrate the application of predictive model developed for AGB in an independent Eucalyptus plantation. Field inventory was conducted to provide ground data for Eucalyptus grandis and E. pellita plantations managed by Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) in four locations namely Sipitang, Mendulong, Basio and Ketanon, Sabah, Malaysia. Randomly selected quadrat plots measuring at 30 m × 30 m were established in a total of 65 sampled stands. They were then split randomly into two independent data sets, with 42 for building the models and the remaining 23 for validating the models. Within each plot, diameter at breast height (DBH in cm), total height (m), crown width (cm) and crown closure (%) were measured. Multiple linear regression procedures were applied to develop predictive models for estimating the stand volume, AGB and carbon stocks of Eucalyptus.