Estimation of Aboveground Biomass of Artemisia herba-alba in Tunisian Arid Zone

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the biomass production of Artemisia herba-alba, a North African plant species. This chamephytic species is well searched for its pastoral and medicinal utility. The technique of clipping was the method used for the aboveground biomass production estimation. Twenty spontaneous individuals of Artemisia species were used in this present study. The biomass and the bio-volume parameters of individual plant were estimated from height and diameter measurements. Correlations between the biomass production and these parameters were statistically tested. Results showed a high relationship between the total biomass and the bio-volume (R2 = 0.63), as well as with the mean diameter (R2 = 0.85) of the studied individuals. Whereas, linear regressions were found between the annual biomass production (yearly fresh matter) and: i) the bio-volume (R2 = 0.52) and ii) the mean diameter (R2 = 0.68) of individuals.