Comparison among methods for the assessment of deadwood volume in a former holm oak coppice

Comparison among methods for the assessment of deadwood volume in a former holm oak coppice. The paper aims to compare three methods for the assessment of deadwood volume, i.e., LIS (Line Intersect System), FAS (Fixed Area Sampling), and WM (Weighings Method). The control data are represented by the outputs of Xylometric measurement. The study was carried out in a former holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) coppice located in the nature park of Montioni in southern Tuscany. LIS and FAS overestimated significantly the quantity of deadwood (+12% and +50%, respectively). The error become higher as the minimum threshold sampling increases. The WM, besides the operational complexity of its application, led to more promising and precise results.