sustainability Article Spatial Assessment of Para Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) above Ground Biomass Potentials in Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand John Nyandansobi Simon 1, Narissara Nuthammachot 1 , Teerawet Titseesang 2, Kingsley Ezechukwu Okpara 1 and Kuaanan Techato 1,3,* 1 Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand;
[email protected] (J.N.S.);
[email protected] (N.N.);
[email protected] (K.E.O.) 2 Faculty of Business Administration, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand;
[email protected] 3 Environmental Assessment and Technology for Hazardous Waste Management Research Center, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkhla University, Hat Yai, Songkla 90110, Thailand * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Currently, Songkhla Province of Thailand has been recognized as a convenient hub of rubber industry development, accompanied by an attendant abundance of rubber tree plantations. A spatialized assessment of the rubber tree was carried out to estimate its aboveground biomass potentials using remote sensing techniques and ecosystem modeling procedures. Moderate Reso- lution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite-based estimations of the net primary productivity were derived and complemented with a calculated generic model, to quantify the respective above ground Citation: Simon, J.N.; biomass potentials para rubber. Above ground biomass assessment findings revealed a mean value of Nuthammachot, N.; Titseesang, T.; 82.1 tonnes C ha−1 and an aggregate of 31. 9 million tonnes C ha−1 which is the theoretical potential, Okpara, K.E.; Techato, K. Spatial this is segregated into energy usable, and other economic purpose biomass potentials, with corre- Assessment of Para Rubber (Hevea sponding value ranges of 1624.1 to 6,041,531.2 million tonnes C ha−1 and 85.5 to 317,975.6 thousand brasiliensis) above Ground Biomass −1 Potentials in Songkhla Province, tonnes C ha respectively.