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Table 2 Description of disturbance and environmental predictor variables for estimating above-ground biomass at the ground plot level

From: Model-based estimation of above-ground biomass in the miombo ecoregion of Zambia

Predictor variable

Description

Minimum

Maximum

Mean

Available soil water capacity (AWC)

Volumetric fraction

12.1

15.2

14.0

Bulk density (Bulk)

kg∙m−3

1299.6

1501.2

1378.9

Carbon

Organic soil carbon content (g∙kg−1)

4.3

11.5

7.0

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

cmolc∙kg−1

7.7

21.8

12.3

Clay

Percent volume

21.5

35.1

28.7

Coarse fragments (Crs.frg)

Percent volume

2.2

17.0

9.5

Compound Topographic Index (CTI)

Unitless. High values indicate higher potential soil moisture.

5.8

39.6

8.2

Distance from ground plot to district capital (D2cap)

Euclidean distance (m)

5704

90,146

40,635

Distance from ground plot to nearest perennial river/stream (D2hydro)

Euclidean distance (m)

91

26,194

7203

Distance from ground plot to nearest village or settlement (D2vill)

Euclidean distance (m)

542

42,902

8948

Distance from ground plot to nearest improved road (D2road)

Euclidean distance (m)

192

59,363

12,042

Fire history – early season (Fire.early)

Total number of fires per pixel, Apr. 1 – Jul. 31

0.0

6.0

0.6

Fire history – late season (Fire.late)

Total number of fires per pixel, Aug. 1 – Nov. 30

0.0

8.0

1.8

pH

Unitless

59.0

67.8

62.6

Sand

Percent volume

43.4

66.2

54.3

Silt

Percent volume

9.9

22.8

17.0

Slope

Percent

0.0

43.8

8.4

  1. Minimum, maximum, and mean values calculated from n = 64