Production- Biomass Sampling

Question 1

What is production or biomass sampling?

Answer 1

Is a measure of the current years above ground plant growth or production. it may be expressed in terms of browse, forage, herbage, or standing crop.

Is considered the best vegetative attribute to describe the dominant role in a community.

Is moisture and phenological stage dependent.

Is expressed in terms of oven or air dry weight (Kg/ha)

Question 2

What are the 3 different ways biomass may be measured?

Answer 2

1. composite: includes grasses, forbs and shrubs together
2. life form: includes only grasses alone, forbs alone or shrubs alone
3. species: the biomass of each individual plant species is considered seperately

Question 3

Biomass Measurements diagram

Answer 3

Direct:
Clip & weigh: oven dried or dry weight conversions
Double Sampling: oven dried

Indirect:
Dimension analysis (shrubs)
Remote sensing colour infrared photos

Question 4

What are some clip & weigh procedures?

Answer 4

1. is time consuming