Using allometric models to estimate aboveground biomass and predict carbon stocks of mango (Mangifera indica L.) parklands in the Sudanian zone of Burkina Faso.

Abstract Tree growth is an important means of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon and is thus a key to mitigating the effects of climate change. Over recent decades, mango (Mangifera indica L.) parklands have expanded in Burkina Faso, due to the species’ fast growth and its compatibility with local agricultural crops. However, the contribution of mango parklands to reducing atmospheric CO2 remains unknown, due to the lack of local tools for aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation. The aim of this study was to develop accurate allometric equations for estimating the AGB and carbon (C) stocks of mango parklands. A field survey was carried out to select mango parklands according to their age. These parklands were then classified into six groups age (0≦y