Biometric relationships for estimating standing biomass, litterfall and litter accumulation of Acacia salicina on mined land in central Queensland

Basal stem diameter was found to be a good predictor of above-ground biomas s, canopy litterfall and mass of the accumulated litter layer for Acacia sa licina Lindl., a tree that establishes successfully on mined land in centra l Queensland. The relationship between stem diameter and both biomass and l itterfall was best described by an exponential model, and was related to ex ponential expansion of the canopy as tree diameter increased. In contrast, a simple linear model was used to describe the relationship between stem di ameter and accumulated litter, partly reflecting a constant rate of litterf all per unit area of canopy over the range of tree sizes. The models were d eveloped as a means of estimating biomass and nutrient capital and cycling in reconstructed ecosystems following open-cut coal mining.