Handle height allometries

[teixeirak]

Some sites have local height allometries, which can be used to improve estimates.

We need to plan the structure for incorporating these in the database.

This is something that @gonzalezeb, @maurolepore, and @teixeirak should discuss in person.

[ErvanCH]

This is worth doing. Chave et al. 2014 are also providing a general equation to estimate height. I know that the group from O. Phillips is also computing local H-D model routinely, as part of the tools integrated in the Forestplots repository. There is a new paper related to that exploring the different generic models and approches to estimate H-D locally (see here)

[teixeirak]

The basic plan is to include height allometries in the allometries table, where height is entered as the independent variable (variable field in allodb_equations). The site-species table will have a new field that references the allometry ID for this calculation, when applicable, and applies it to calculate height before running the biomass allometry. To implement this:

• add a height allometry ID field to allodb_site_species (@gonzalezeb).
• revise code to deal with instances where a height allometry is available (@maurolepore).

Note: a biomass allometry that uses height should always be coupled to a height allometry.

[teixeirak]

This is not necessary for the minimum viable product, but should be dealt with before publication of the paper.

[teixeirak]

@gonzalezeb, this paper is the one I mentioned with height allometries.

[maurolepore]

(Krista) revise code to deal with instances where a height allometry is available (@maurolepore)

(Ervan) Chave et al. 2014 are also providing a general equation to estimate height.

A branch of fgeo.biomass now wraps the BIOMASS package and provides a way to estimate height based on a region or on latitude and longitude. It does this internally (#54 (comment)). I believe this is appropriate for tropical species only.

Relates to #54 (comment)

[gonzalezeb]

Now we only need:

• decide if we need a height allometry ID field in site_species table in allodb
• include a line in the code in fgeo.biomass to use height equations from allodb when height is needed to calculate biomass in a non tropical site.

[teixeirak]

Now we only need:

* decide if we need a height allometry ID field in site_species table in allodb

Yes.

[gonzalezeb]

Closing. Height allometries are now handle by the get_biomass function