Allometric equations for estimating above-ground biomass of Nitraria sibirica Pall. in Gobi Desert of Mongolia

Abstract

Nitraria sibirica Pall. is a shrub species belonging to the family of Nitrariaceae. It plays pivotal role in arid ecosystems since it is tolerant to high salinity and drought. This species is widely distributed throughout Mongolia and it is mostly found in arid ecosystems of Mongolian Gobi Desert. In this study, we developed allometric equations for estimating above-ground biomass of N. sibirica using various structural descriptors and pinpointed the best models. Variables that precisely predicted above-ground biomass were a combination of basal diameter, crown area, and height. The allometric growth equation constructed is not merely helpful to achieve accurate estimations of the above-ground biomass in shrub vegetation in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, but also can provide a reference for the above-ground biomass of Nitraria species growing in analogous habitats worldwide. Therefore, our research purposes an important advance for biomass estimation in Gobi ecosystems and complements previous studies of shrub biomass worldwide. This study provides reasonable estimates of biomass of N. sibirica, which will be valuable in evaluations of biological resources, especially for quantifying the main summer diet of Gobi bears, and also can be an alternative tool for assessing carbon cycling in Gobi Desert.