DOI: 10.5285/cbeea40f-8e35-4875-8b49-815e04f0cbd9
title: Forest inventory, dendrometric tree characteristics and aboveground biomass data in Ankeniheny Zahamena forest corridor, Madagascar

description: Data comprise a forest inventory (tree name (local, scientific, genera, family), diameter, height), dendrometric tree characteristics (tree species, weight (branches, leaves, trunk), diameter, height, coordinates, distance, location) and aboveground biomass data (litter and root mat depth, biomass and carbon stock of living vegetation (sapling, tree and understorey), non-living vegetation (litter), lying dead wood and standing dead wood) sampled in the Ankeniheny Zahamena Forest Corridor (remains of the evergreen forest of eastern Madagascar). 

Living vegetation includes woody and herbaceous above soil vegetation including stems, branches, bark, seeds, and foliage (IPCC, 2006). Litter includes all non-living biomass with a size greater than the limit for soil organic matter (suggested 2 mm) and less than the minimum diameter chosen for lying dead wood (e.g. 10 cm) in various states of decomposition above or within the mineral or organic soil (IPCC, 2006). Dead wood includes all non-living woody biomass not contained in the litter, either standing, lying on the ground, or in the soil (IPCC, 2006). Understorey includes herbaceous vegetation in forests and fallows. 
Data were collected as part of a project funded under the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme. Work package 4 P4GES project, grant references: NE/K008692/1, NE/K010115/1, and NE/K010220-1
description: Full materials and methods available from supporting documentation (Manual_1_Classical_survey).
For each sampling site, four subplots located in circular area were identified. For the first area of 2 m of radius, sapling (DBH<5cm and H>1.30m) were accounted for each species. Then, 5 different species of saplings chosen randomly were weighed and sampled. For the second circular area of 5 m of radius, local name, DBH and height of trees (living wood and standing dead wood) from 5 to 10 cm of DBH were measured.  For the circular area of 10 m radius, local name, DBH and height of trees with DBH between 10 cm and 20 cm were measured. For the circular plot of 20 m of radius, DBH, height and local name of trees (living wood and standing dead wood) with DBH above 20 cm were recorded
Only for standing dead wood, diameters at 0,30m and at the top were recorded in addition to DBH and height. In addition to diameters, the wood density of each stading dead wood is recorded. The wood density is classified as sound (S), intermediate (I) and rotten (R). The values of each class are those applied by Conservation International Madagascar (CI Madagascar).
Lying dead wood was measured on a transect of 100 m passing through the center of the plot. For each lying dead wood intercepting the transect, the diameter at which the rope passes is recorded. In addition to the diameter, the wood density of each lying dead wood is recorded. The wood density is classified as sound (S), intermediate (I) and rotten (R). The values of each class are those applied by Conservation International (CI). 
A direct measurement of above ground biomass was carried out in closed canopy. Indeed, 54 trees from four species were then selected from the forest inventory, on the basis of their relative contribution to tree density (ratio between the number of stems per hectare of the species and total number of stems). Then, in second phase, these trees were felled and weighed after separating trunk, branch and leaves biomass (Picard et al. 2012). The total fresh weight of each component was obtained in the field using electronic balances. After, subsamples were collected from the field for a lab-based humidity analysis. The dendrometric characteristics of these 54 trees were recorded.