In the Moroccan Rif, the aboveground biomass of the forage shrub "Cytisus triflorus", very appreciated by the livestock, has been assessed, based on dendrometric and weight data of 36 shrubs. Simple and multiple regressions were applied to the data in order to estimate the woody and foliar biomasses in this species. The data analysis allows us to conclude that (i) the estimation of the dry biomass of strands can be performed from their diameter to the stump shrub and the length of the single strand; (ii) the assessment of the dry biomass of shrubs can be performed from their maximum height and the average diameter; (iii) the best obtained models for the strands and the shrubs are in allometry, adjusting the best of data biomass; and (iv) the total estimated production of C. triflorus is 148.1 kg DM.ha-1, distributed by reason of 96.3 Dry Mass.ha-1 of woody biomass and 51.83 kg DM.ha-1 of foliar biomass. C. triflorus is subjected to a pastoral overload in all the natural ranges of the Rif. Pastoral pressure has a significantly depressive effect on the total biomass production of the shrub.

Abstract