ALLOMETRIC EQUATION OF OIL PALM: AN ESTIMATION APPROACH OF BIOMASS CARBON STOCK IN TROPICAL PEATLAND

Abstract

Allometric equation can be used to estimate both oil palm biomass and carbon, particularly in peatland. They are a supporting key of sustainable and environmental concept management.This study was carried out in oil palm agro ecosystem PTPN IV Ajamu, Labuhan Batu, North Sumatera, INDONESIA. Data were gathered by destructive method, and the method used was regression equation which biomass of oil palm was correlated to its dimensions. The result showed that to determine C biomass of oil palm, the best model found developed using allometric equations was Ŷ = β0Dβ1H β2 with R2 of 0.99. To obtain its model there were used several parameters : (i) stem diameter including rachis measured at natural angle (D1) combined by total height (H1), (ii) stem diameter including rachis measured at uphill side (D2) combined by the branch (H2), and (iii) stem diameter without rachis (D3) combined by the height of the stem without branch (H2).