Biomass accumulation and radiation use efficiency of honey mesquite and eastern red cedar

Rangeland models that simulate hydrology, soil erosion and nutrient balance can be used to select management systems which maximize profits for producers while they minimize adverse impacts on water quality. Values are needed for parameters that describe the growth of invading woody species in order to allow simulation of their competition with grasses. Three attributes useful for describing and quantifying plant growth are: the potential leaf area index (LAI) or ratio of leaf area divided by ground area; the light extinction coefficient (k) that is used to calculate the fraction of light intercepted by leaves, applying Beer's law; and the radiation-use efficiency (RUE) or amount of dry biomass produced per unit of intercepted light. Objectives in this study were to measure LAI, k, and RUE for eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) and honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr. var, glandulosa), without competing plants, as a first step toward simulating their growth. Seedlings were planted in the field at Temple, Texas, USA in early 1992 and kept free of competition from herbaceous plants. During 1993, 1994 and 1995 data were collected on biomass, leaf area and intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for individual trees. Both tree species showed exponential biomass increases. At the end of the 1995 growing season, mean LAI values were 1.16 for cedar and 1.25 for mesquite. Mean k values were 0.34 for mesquite and 0.37 for cedar. Radiation use efficiency for aboveground biomass was 1.60 +/- 0.17 (mean +/- standard deviation) g per MJ of intercepted PAR for cedar and 1.61 +/- 0.26 for mesquite. The rapid growth in 1995 was accompanied by greater leaf area and thus greater summed intercepted PAR. These values are critical for quantifying growth of these two species. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.