Estimating salal leaf area index and leaf biomass from diffuse light attenuation

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Abstract
Salal (Gaultheriashallon Pursh) leaf area index and leaf biomass were estimated from 37 quadrat samples in 13 stands dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) on eastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Leaf area index and biomass were predicted from a Beer's Law light attenuation model using diffuse photosynthetically active radiation (400–700 nm wavelength). The extinction coefficients, determined using reduced major axis maximum likelihood, were 0.8055 m2/m2 for leaf area index and 0.0069 g/m2 for leaf biomass. Salal leaf area index and biomass were then predicted for any convenient height in the understory canopy using a cumulative Weibull model based on dominant salal height per quadrat. The models are of use for objectively assessing the amount of Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileushemionuscolumbianus Richardson) winter browse and to quantify competitive leaf area.