Total aboveground biomass in central Amazonian rainforests: a landscape-scale study

Abstract Amazonian forests play a key role in the global carbon cycle, but there is much uncertainty about the quantity and distribution of carbon stored in these forests. We quantified total aboveground dry biomass (TAGB) in undisturbed central Amazonian rainforests, based on detailed estimates of all live and dead plant material within 20 1 ha plots spanning an extensive (ca. 1000 km2) study area. TAGB values in our study area were very high, averaging 397.7±30.0 Mg ha −1 . The most important component of aboveground biomass was large (≥10 cm diameter-at-breast-height (DBH)) trees, which comprised 81.9% of TAGB, followed by downed wood debris (7.0%), small trees, saplings, and seedlings (

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