Trimmed fresh biomass
The three small branches destructed per tree were trimmed using a
machete. A tree caliper was used to determine the diameter at the base
of each branch. The basal diameters were determined at the first point
at which the branch became cylindrical, typically within 5 cm of the
trunk then the leaves were separated from the trimmed branches. The
fresh biomass of the leaves from the trimmed branches (Btrimmed fresh
leaf) and the fresh biomass of the wood from the trimmed branches
(Btrimmed fresh wood) were determined (by weighing separately). Three
random samples of the leaves from three different trimmed branches were
taken to constitute the aliquot. Its fresh weight (B aliquot fresh leaf
in g) was measured. Without debarking, an aliquot of the wood was also
taken at random from the trimmed branches. Its fresh mass was measured
(B aliquot fresh wood in g) in the field, immediately after cutting.
Samples about 10 cm long were taken from twigs and 6 disks were taken
from the destructed three branches. These aliquots were placed in
numbered plastic bags and sent to the laboratory. The subsamples were
then dried at 650C for 48 h or until a constant weight
was obtained to determine the moisture content. The fresh volume of the
wood aliquot was measured in the lab, and the value was used to
determine mean wood density. These data (dry biomass of trimmed
component) were used to develop regressions between basal diameter and
trimmed branch component weight (trimmed branches, twigs and leaves)
(Vann et al ., 1998; Picard et al ., 2012).