New Model for Estimating Timber Volume in Kalimantan's Peat Swamp Forests

Image: article cover, from Qirom and Acep (2020), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

A research team from the Banjarbaru Forestry and Environmental Research and Development Centre has developed a timber volume estimation model for tree species groups in peat swamp forests. The study was conducted in the logging concession area of Tingang Karya Mandiri, Central Kalimantan, and published in the Journal Wasian in 2020. This model is important because, until now, no specific formula has been available for estimating timber volume in peat swamp forests for each species or species group at a given location.

The study used 120 sample trees from the Dipterocarpaceae and non-Dipterocarpaceae groups. The results show that the Berkhout model, or the diameter-only model, is very good for estimating tree volume at all levels, both for species groups and for all species, except for the Dipterocarpaceae group. This model has a high coefficient of determination, above 95 per cent. This means that the model can explain most of the variation in tree volume. The model also meets the criteria for aggregate deviation and relative deviation, so it is considered very accurate for estimating tree volume at both the individual and stand levels.

According to this study, the model for all species can be used to estimate tree volume in peat swamp forests. This finding is beneficial for forest managers and local communities because it provides a more practical and accurate way to calculate timber potential. Thus, the assessment of timber stands in peat swamp forests no longer depends on general models that may be less suitable for local conditions.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article The Volume Model of Tree Species Group in Peat Swamp Forest at Logging Concession Area of Tingang Karya Mandiri, Central Kalimantan by Muhammad Abdul Qirom Qirom and Acep Akbar Acep, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 7 No. 1 (2020). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Qirom, M. A. Q., & Acep, A. A. (2020). The Volume Model of Tree Species Group in Peat Swamp Forest at Logging Concession Area of Tingang Karya Mandiri, Central Kalimantan. Jurnal Wasian, 7(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.62142/vcvba021

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.