Allometric models and aboveground biomass stocks of a West African Sudan Savannah watershed in Benin

Abstract

The estimation of forest biomass changes due to land‑use change is of significant importance for estimates of the global carbon budget. The accuracy of biomass density maps depends on the availability of reliable allometric models used in combination with data derived from satellites images and forest inventory data. To reduce the uncertainty in estimates of carbon emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation, better informa‑ tion on allometric equations and the spatial distribution of aboveground biomass stocks in each land use/land cover (LULC) class is needed for the different ecological zones. Such information has been sparse for the West African Sudan Savannah zone. This paper provides new data and results for this important zone. The analysis combines satellite images and locally derived allometric models based on non‑destructive measurements to estimate aboveground biomass stocks at the watershed level in the Sudan Savannah zone in Benin.