Abstract:
Five species of eucalypts, namely Eucalyptus ovata, E. Saligna, E. globulus, E. nitens and E. regnans were planted, sampled and harvested to develop regression equations to be used for non-destructive estimations of total tree dry weight when grown under a short rotation regime. A total of 458 trees were sampled between 2 and 5 years old. Their diameters ranged between 10 and 314 mm, heights 1.6–18.1 mm and weights 0.4–199 kg. A number of equations were developed from these parameters and tested statistically. The best-fit equation for a group of Eucalyptus species incorporated the product of the square of the diameter (D2) and height (H): tree dry weight . This equation predicted the above ground tree dry weight to within 20% accuracy. The equation developed for eucalypts would be suitable if directly applied to other tree crops such as Pinus radiata or Acacia dealbata under SRF management regimes.