Dendrometric analysis of Tamarix africana L.,species of river and wetlands of the Mediterranean area. Characterisation of biomass

Highlights: • Dendrometric analysis has been carried out of Tamarix africana. • It has become the elemental, proximate and structural analysis. • Models for predicting higher calorific have been evaluated. -- Abstract: A dendrometric and energetic characterisation of Tamarix africana L. was carried out in this study. This is an indigenous plant species in the Mediterranean area, and it can survive in semi-arid areas with saline soils and occasional floods. Owing to these characteristics, this species is a good candidate for its use in the restoration of several environments, such as the marshes. This opens up the possibility of improving the management of biomass, which can be used for obtaining economic benefits from its energetic use. For the stems, biomass volume functions were determined from their diameter and length with r² of 0.96. For the whole plant, biomass volume functions were determined from the diameter of the projected area in the soil and the height of the plant with r² of 0.95. For energetic characterisation, the density, higher heat value, and the composition of this wood were measured in terms of following elements: carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulphur and chlorine, volatiles and ash. The determination of its composition in C allows us to evaluate the CO₂ fixed by the plant during its growth. The average catchment was estimated to be 2.58 kg/plant.