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The Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve is an important ecological barrier in northwestern China; therefore, it is of great importance to accurately evaluate the carbon storage of its main arbor forest. In this study, the Tianlaochi Basin of Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve was used as the research area to measure the carbon storage of the main arbor forests and determine the relationship between neglect of understory vegetation and errors in estimated carbon storages. The results showed that: (1) The total carbon storages of Picea crassifolia and Sabina przewalskii in Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve were 6.05 × 107 and 9.48 × 106 Mg and the carbon density were 426.07 Mg/hm2 and 338.72 Mg/hm2, respectively. (2) The understory carbon storage of Picea crassifolia and Sabina przewalskii accounted for 7.03% and 5.5% of the total carbon storage, respectively (6.81% combined). When the understory vegetation was neglected, the carbon storage in Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve was estimated to be less than 9.72 × 105 Mg. (3) There are large areas of Picea and Sabina forests worldwide; therefore, ignoring understory vegetation in these systems when estimating the carbon stock will lead to underestimations. Our research can provide a reference when estimating the carbon storage of similar tree species.

Globally, belowground biomass (BGB) accounts for 20–26% of total biomass, and as such it is an important carbon (C) pool for many vegetation types. However, large uncertainty exists for belowground...

This study was conducted to assess biomass and carbon stock along slopes in Depard community forest, Manahari-6, Makwanpur district of Nepal. In Nepal, carbon stock estimation has been less practiced in community forest. A random sampling method was applied in this study to collect biophysical data i.e. DBH and height by non-destructive method to estimate the quantity of tree biomass and carbon stock. 21 sample plots with 1% sampling intensity were established within the study area. The circular area of 250 m2 was predetermined with the radius of 8.92 m for this study. Secondary data were collected through published and unpublished literature. Data were pooled and analyzed with SPSS software. The total biomass and carbon stock were calculated to be 1381.30 t/ha and 649.21 t/ha, respectively. The biomass and carbon stock were highest (563.12 t/ha and 242.42 t/ha) in 0-5% slope, and lowest in >20% of slope (334.75 t/ha and 143.60 t/ha). The difference of biomass and carbon in slopes may be due to the accumulation of more organic matter and other minerals in the less sloped areas through rainfall, landslide.

We used models to project forest carbon stocks for a series of harvesting scenarios for 29 boreal forest management units totalling 23.3 million ha in Ontario, Canada. Scenarios evaluated for 2020 to 2050 ranged from a no harvesting option to annual harvesting of 2% of the total merchantable volume present in 2020. For each scenario, we estimated the following carbon quantities: (a) forest ecosystem carbon stocks, (b) sum of carbon stocks in forest ecosystem and harvested wood products (HWP) minus emissions associated with HWP production and decomposition, and (c) net greenhouse gas (GHG) effects of harvesting estimated as (b) combined with emissions avoided by substituting HWP for non-wood materials. The average of each carbon quantity for 2020 to 2050 was linearly dependent on the annual harvest volume. The developed relationships were used to estimate harvest volumes for which the three carbon quantities would equal equilibrium forest ecosystem carbon stocks for a pre-suppression natural disturbance cycle. These estimates indicate the range of harvest volumes for which resulting carbon stocks would equal or exceed those in an unmanaged forest. Also discussed are possible criteria for determining annual harvest volume.

The values of forest carbon stock (CSV) and carbon sink (COV) are important topics in the global carbon cycle. We quantitatively analyzed the factors affecting changes in both for forest ecosystem in 2000−2015. With multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, we obtained the factors that had a significant impact on changes of CSV and COV, and then the impacts of these variables on CSV and COV were used for further quantitative analysis using the vector autoregressive model. Our results indicated that both stand age and afforestation area positively affect CSV and COV; however, the forest enterprise gross output value negatively affects CSV. Stand age has the largest long-term cumulative impact on CSV and COV, reaching 40.4% and 9.8%, respectively. The impact of enterprise gross output value and afforestation area on CSV and COV is the smallest, reaching 4.0% and 0.3%, respectively.

Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst. (L.)) in the boreal zone can be managed as even-aged or uneven-aged stands, or be grown with no management at all. Here, we investigated how these management options affect carbon dynamics, particularly the carbon stocks in the forest ecosystem (trees and soil), and albedo, and their combined effect on radiative forcing compared to a reference case, clear-cut site before planting seedlings. This allowed us to assess the potential of different management regimes to mitigate global warming. We ran long-term simulations under the current climate on a sub-mesic site in central Finland (62oN) using an eco-physiological forest-ecosystem model. Compared to even-aged management, no management (old-growth forest) increased ecosystem carbon stocks by 47 per cent and decreased albedo by 15 per cent, whereas uneven-aged management reduced ecosystem carbon stocks by 16 per cent and increased albedo by 10 per cent. Only the no management option resulted in a significant net cooling effect whereas for even-aged and uneven-aged management, the opposing effects of changes in albedo and carbon stocks largely cancelled each other with little remaining net effect. On the other hand, the latter one even made a small net warming contribution. Overall, maintaining higher ecosystem carbon stocks implied the larger cooling benefits. This was evident even though lower albedo enhanced radiation absorption, and thus warming. Increasing use of the no management option by forest owners may require proper incentives such as compensation for lost harvest incomes.

Aboveground biomass quantification is essential for determining carbon stocks in forests. Multiple tree biomass models are available, but estimations can be biased outside the fitting range. This is due to the lack of data for larger trees, mainly because of the cost and time required. This study proposed a methodology based on tree crown biomass ratio (crown biomass: total aboveground biomass) modelling. The original data used in the existing biomass models in Spain have been notably extended by the inclusion of stem data from First Spanish National Forest Inventory and other databases, covering better tree size variability. The analysis of the crown biomass ratio against tree size (d2h), allowed us to distinguish three different patterns: an increasing pattern, a constant one, and a decreasing pattern. A new system of biomass models was fitted simultaneously by species, including a model for crown biomass ratio according to the identified pattern, a stem biomass model, and a total aboveground biomass model. Using this methodology, models were fitted for the 29 most important species in Spain. The fitted models result in more accurate and unbiased predictions for stem biomass, and realistic estimations for the crown biomass. This methodology means more robust and flexible biomass estimations with the possibility of using different data sources. The absence of crown information is not an obstacle because this component is a percentage of total aboveground biomass. Moreover, determining the crown biomass ratio pattern allows improving the accuracy of tree biomass estimation beyond the range of tree sizes (2–70 cm) for which these models were fitted., This research was funded by Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, grant number AGL2017-83828-C2-1-R; Ministry of Agriculture, grant number EG17-042-C02-02; INIA grant number IMP-2018-004-C02-02, and Horizon2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 77832 (CARE4C).

Climate change increases the concentration of the greenhouse effect, this was caused by the lack of trees as a function of carbon sequestration. Therefore, this study aims to map the vegetation distribution in the streets of the city of Malang and to measure its carbon stocks. The used method was vegetation analysis, to calculate the estimation of biomass, carbon storage and CO2 absorption using the allometric equation Brown; Brown and Lugo; and Morikawa. The study was conducted at the street lots of traffic activity, there are six stations representing the city of Malang, those are Tlogomas Street, North of Ahmad Yani Street, Letjend Sutoyo Street, Panglima Sudirman Street, Sudanco Supriadi Street and Kolonel Sugiono Street. The results of this study are that the most carbon-absorbing tree is Albizia saman with a value of 287,656 kg and the region that absorbs the most carbon is Panglima Sudirman Street, that located in the middle of the city.

Carbon stocks estimated for greenhouse gas emission reporting in South African plantation forests require improvement for local relevance. We developed biomass expansion and conversion factor (BECF...

International audience; Repeated and continuous monitoring of changes in a habitat provides a platform to investigate concurrent variation in the structure, species composition, and function of a forest. We assessed tree diversity and carbon stock changes in two Indian tropical dry evergreen forest (TDEF) sites namely Sendhirakillai (SK) and Palvathunnan (PT) after 10-year time scale. Two 1-ha plots were delimited one in each disturbed and undisturbed site in 2007 and re-measurements were undertaken in 2017. Over the sampling period, species richness showed little variation in both the sites. Out of 38 species identified, 26 species decreased in abundance, nine increased, and three remained unchanged. A total of 860 trees were lost from both the sites in 10-year interval. Site PT witnessed maximum loss (44% – 559 stems). Tree species density, basal area, and carbon stocks decreased tremendously in all girth classes at site PT. Total biomass and carbon stocks were decreased by 42% in site PT and conversely, they increased by 9% in site SK. The substantial difference noticed between the two sites highlights the impact of human disturbance and the need for periodical biodiversity assessment through re-census in Indian TDEFs and also in similar global dry tropical forests.

The shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, shields people, crops and livestock in West African parkland agroforestry systems from climate variability. Accurate estimates of accumulated biomass of such key species may support ways to secure financial incentives within global climate policies. In this quest, variation in allometric relations used for biomass (carbon stock) estimates on the basis of stem diameter matters, but parameters a and b of the standard format (AGB = a Db; AGB = aboveground biomass, D = stem diameter) are correlated and are directly related to tree shapes. Functional branch analysis (FBA) allows non-destructive derivation of allometrics. For Koutiala and Yanfolila shea populations empirical branching parameters were scale-independent, matching FBA assumptions. Allometry (AGB = 169 (D/20)2.64 and AGB = 146 (D/20)2.65, kg tree−1) implied 22%, 16% and 11% larger vegetative aboveground biomass in Koutiala than in Yanfolila at stem diameters (D) of 10, 20 and 32 cm, respectively. Below-ground biomass predictions (BGBi = 8.73 (Di/10)2.35 and BGBi = 8.16 (Di/10)2.38, kg per proximal root) differed − 6% and − 15% for root diameters Di of 10 and 32 cm, respectively. On a dry weight basis, the shoot:root ratio was 2.7 and 2.9, respectively for the two sites. Stand-level above-and below-ground carbon stocks in Koutiala (2.16 ± 0.44 and 0.8 ± 0.15 Mg C ha−1) were not significantly different from those in Yanfolila (3.21 ± 0.60 and 1.26 ± 0.21 Mg C ha−1), respectively. Further research is required to include (potential) fruit production to the plant architectural model.

The present study deals with an approach to estimate the above ground biomass (AGB) to assess the total carbon stock of forest cover present in Ramgarh district using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Due to the fact that biomass estimation is one of the most influential biophysical parameters in traditional carbon sequestration techniques, satellite remote sensing plays an important role in AGB and carbon stock estimation. Presently, AGB is estimated using Sentinel1A SAR data in conjunction with in-situ field data, which is conducted in 20 different sites within the forest area. Biomass is calculated for each plot, and a correlation analysis is performed with the backscatter value obtained from SAR data to generate an allometric equation that is used to calculate the AGB and carbon stock for the entire forest cover. Both Polarization VV and VH are correlated with field data in which cross-polarized backscatter value shown a stronger correlation of 0.75 (R2 Value). C-band is proved to be the best band for the estimation of biomass and carbon stock in tropical mixed forests.

The present study was conducted to compare the carbon sequestration potential, carbon emission, and cost benefit ratio of wheat varieties under open farming and poplar based agroforestry system. Fi...

Bamboo is of ecological and socio-economic importance in the world. However, knowledge on its potential in climate change mitigation remains superficial in Cameroon. The present study identified bamboo diversity and estimated carbon stocks of the dominant species in Cameroon. Ground truth method and local informants were used for a bamboo species survey in five Agro-ecological zones (AEZs). Twenty-two circular plots of 100 m² each were utilized for biomass and density data collection in AEZ 2, AEZ 3 and AEZ 4. Destructive method was used to collect 5% of culms per plot sampled for bamboo biomass estimation. Culm density and carbon stocks for each bamboo species were extrapolated to hectares. A total of 8 bamboo species were recorded in the inventory. Three dominant bamboo species were identified (Bambusa vulgaris, Oxytenanthera abyssinica and Phyllostachys aurea) in different AEZs. For the three dominant bamboo species, biomass of culm was greater (76-84%), than those of branches (13-19%) and leaves (4-9%). Culm density varied significantly across the different bamboo species, that is, 2296, 4374 and 38017 culm/ha respectively for B. vulgaris, O. abyssinica and P. aurea. Carbon stocks varied from 13.13 tC ha-1 (O. abyssinica); 29.62 tC ha-1 (B. vulgaris) and 67.78 tC ha-1 (P. aurea), with significant variations (P< 0.05) across the different bamboo species. The fast growth rate of bamboo underpins its potential for climate change mitigation and could influence decisions and strategy for the fight against climate change in Cameroon. Key words: Agro-ecological zone, climate change mitigation, culm density, REDD+ strategy, Cameroon.

Landsat 8 OLI imageries were used in order to increase data on the distribution and carbon stocks of Oxytenanthera abyssinica (A. Rich.) Munro in the Guinea savannah of Cameroon, Eight circular plo...

Various agroforestry systems are prevalent in different agro-climatic regions of India and occupy sizeable area. Populus deltoides (poplar) based agroforestry systems are very predominant in Indo-Gangetic Plains of northern India. These systems are not only meeting wood demand of wood-based industries but also contributing significantly in generating employment, reducing atmospheric CO2 vis-a-vis mitigating climate change. The present study aimed at estimating area under poplar plantations and assessment of biomass production and carbon stock at district level for selected districts of Punjab and Haryana states. High resolution multispectral remote sensing data (LISS-IV, spatial resolution- 5.8 m) have been used for mapping poplar area in these districts. Growth data (tree density, diameter at breast height) from farmers’ fields were collected for assessment of aboveground and total biomass. Poplar area in Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Karnal districts accounted for 3.19, 4.09, 1.02, 0.43, 7.25, 1.58 and 0.97%, respectively, of their geographical area. As percentage of agroforestry area, poplar area occupied 43.8% in four districts of Punjab and 53.4% in three districts of Haryana. Estimated carbon stock in total biomass of poplar plantations was 0.931, 0.481, 0.287, 0.040, 0.949, 0.256 and 0.229 million tonnes, respectively. CO2 equivalent C in aboveground and total biomass was estimated to be 7.854 and 9.946 million t, respectively, in all these seven districts. The proposed methodology based on object-oriented image classification showed promising results as far as mapping of agroforestry systems/species is concerned.

A field experiment was undertaken to identify profitable land use based on productivity, net present value, biomass and carbon stocks in litchi based land uses (LBLUs) during 1995–2015 established on degraded riverbed lands of western Himalaya, India. Results of LBLUs (20 years) revealed that LCT + LH + LPG land use produced 6.10–25.27%, 5.82–14.92% and 3.45–13.62% more fruit yield, 14.61–25.22%, 10.18–16.38% and 9.10–16.62% more total biomass, 2.95–9.51%, 0.03–4.54% and 1.60–8.26% higher carbon in soil and 6.93–14.76%, 4.60–10.03% and 6.29–13.14% more total carbon stocks as compared to sole litchi land use of 1st, 2nd and 3rd phase, respectively. Similarly, 80.39% and 78.56% more NPV, 11.74% and 19.77% higher BCR with shortest payback period (5 years) were realized in LCT + LH + LPG land use for 20 and 50 years, respectively. Sensitivity analysis also revealed that changes in discount rate will not affect its performance ranking.

Management of tropical dry forests in Brazil expanded 450% in the two latest decades; but little is known about the dynamics of these areas. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate if the recovery of mean original biomass stocks (MOBS) is a consistent criterion to define cut cycles in a managed forest for charcoal production, and determine the remaining biomass and its contribution to soil carbon stocks. The study was conducted at the Ramalhete Settlement, in General Sampaio, CE, Brazil, in 2018. The explorable shrubby-arboreous biomass (ESAB) and the ESAB mean annual increases (ESAB-MAI) were determined in five areas subjected to clearcutting after 3, 5, 8, 11, and 15 years, and in a preservation area with 40 years of regeneration. Each area was divided into seven plots (20 × 20 m), totaling 42 plots. The ESAB of the plots were compared and the remaining biomass (branches, stumps, and litterfall) in a recently explored area was calculated and converted into organic carbon. The remaining biomass of branches had higher contribution to soil carbon stocks, followed by the litterfall, and stumps. The carbon stocks of the branch component were 3.4-fold higher than those of the litterfall. The recovery of the MOBS of an area after clearcutting should not be used as a criterion to define the cut cycle, since these original carbon stocks do not represent the maximum ESAB production possible in the area; the biodiversity and amount of ESAB in the classes of larger diameter are more adequate criteria. O manejo florestal na floresta tropical seca do Brasil expandiu em 450% nas duas últimas décadas; mas pouco se sabe da dinâmica nessas áreas. Assim, em uma área manejada para produção de carvão, objetivou-se avaliar se a recuperação dos estoques originais médios de biomassa (EOMB) é um critério consistente para definir ciclos de corte, além disso, determinou-se a biomassa remanescente e seu potencial de aporte de carbono ao solo. O estudo foi realizado no Assentamento Ramalhete, General Sampaio-CE, no ano de 2018. Determinou-se a biomassa arbustiva-arbórea explorável (BAAE) e o incremento médio anual (IMA) em cinco talhões submetidos ao corte raso há 3, 5, 8, 11 e 15 anos, e reserva legal (40 anos em regeneração). Em cada talhão foram instaladas sete parcelas (20,0 m x 20,0 m), totalizando 42 parcelas amostrais. Comparou-se a BAAE com a de projeto e calculou-se a biomassa remanescente (ramos, cepas e serapilheira) em um talhão recém explorado, a qual foi convertida para carbono orgânico. Quanto à biomassa remanescente, a ordem de maior potencial de aporte de carbono ao solo foi ramos > serapilheira > cepas. O aporte oriundo do componente ramos é superior ao da serapilheira em 3,4 vezes. A simples recuperação dos EOMB de um talhão após o corte raso não serve como critério para se definir um novo ciclo de corte, pois esses estoques originais não representam a máxima BAAE possível para essa área; sendo a biodiversidade e a presença de mais BAAE nas classes de maior diâmetro critérios mais adequados. &nbsp

A few decades ago, hydroelectric projects were considered a clean source of energy. The present study aims to assess the biomass and soil carbon (C) stock in the hydroelectric catchment in India an...

Though soils sequester large amounts of carbon (C), variations in physical and chemical characteristics of top and deep layers necessitate the study of factors governing topsoil and deep soil C seq...

Necromass is crucial to understanding both carbon and nutrient cycling throughout the forest. In this study, we assessed the carbon stock and spatial distribution of necromass components in an Atla...

Allometric regression models are one of the common methods of carbon stock estimation based on growing stock data conversion to estimates of above ground biomass (AGB). Therefore, allometric model selection is important functional aspect that has considerable influence on accuracy of biomass estimation. As destructive sampling is restricted in our study area, the site specific biomass model is developed for the first time based upon the forest inventory data that includes measurements of diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height (H). To minimize the error in AGB estimation, intensive sampling was done where 78,201 individual tree were enumerated (6034 quadrats laid over 1207 plots). 20 locally abundant tree species were assessed. Tree volume and biomass were calculated and examined for best fit allometric model for the area. Species-specific models were established which best fits with the DBH as predictor variable. For multi-species models, inclusion of wood density (WD) enhanced the model fitness with increased adjusted R2 by 99.9%. Significant variations in predicted and observed values were noticed while considering the regional and pan-tropical models (model prediction error − 614.364 to 288.304%). Therefore, development of local models would provide more accurate AGB estimates. Best fit multi-species allometric model in our study is represented by ln (AGB) = a + b ln (DBH) + c ln (H) + d ln(WD). The equation developed for tropical forest of Eastern India applicable for Sal zone of Bihar is ln(AGB) = − 0.886 + 2ln(DBH) + ln(H) + ln(WD).

The present study was carried out to quantify variations in growth, resource use indicators and carbon stocks in different genotypes and different species of Gladiolus for precision production prac...

The CO2 stocks in roadside trees in Bilaspur, India, were estimated using a systematic sampling method on 30 sample plots. The sampling plots covered a total area of 3 ha. The region housed 438 tre...

The present study was carried out at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru to assess biomass accumulation, nutrient distribution, nutrient/water/energy use, plant available soil nutrients and carbon storage in diff...

Background Sustainable land management interventions were introduced in Geda watershed in 2012 to reduce soil erosion, improve water infiltration, and increase plant-carbon inputs into the soil. This study explored the impact of the interventions on biomass production, carbon stock, and carbon sequestration. Stratified sampling was employed in the main and the dry seasons in the treated and untreated sub-watersheds that are found adjacent to each other. Above- and below-ground plant biomass, soil bulk density and organic carbon in 0–15- and 15–30-cm depths, and soil moisture content in 0–20- and 20–40-cm depths were collected from the crop, grazing, and tree lucerne plots. All analyses were performed based on standard procedures. Results Plant biomass production, carbon stock, and carbon sequestration varied highly significantly (P ≤ 0.001) among sub-watersheds, landscape positions, and land uses. Higher mean values were observed for treated sub-watershed, lower landscape position, and tree lucerne plot. The higher mean values in the lower landscape position of the treated sub-watershed were due to tree lucerne plantation. Similarly, topsoil (0–15 cm) carbon stock was statistically higher (P ≤ 0.001) in the treated sub-watershed and at tree lucerne plot (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, carbon stock by sub-surface soil (15–30 cm) was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.001) in the treated sub-watershed under crop and grazing lands but the higher value was in cropland and in the upper position. This could be due to the decomposition of organic materials from biomasses of crops and biological supporting measures (tree lucerne and Phalaris) facilitated by tillage. Six years of sustainable land management interventions led to the sequestration of 12.25, 7.77, and 13.5 Mg C ha−1 under cropland, tree lucerne, and grazing plots, respectively. Conclusion Sustainable land management interventions revealed auspicious ecological impacts in Geda watershed in terms of improving plant biomass production, carbon stock, and correspondingly capturing higher carbon dioxide equivalent taking untreated sub-watershed as a baseline. Prohibition of free grazing was the key element of the intervention to reduce biomass export and increase carbon sequestration in the treated sub-watershed. Thus, sustaining tree lucerne plants as a conservation measure and the prohibition of free grazing practices are principally essential.

Aims Natural vegetation plays an important role in global carbon cycling and storage. Thus, the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah) is considered a carbon sink because of its intrinsic characteristics. Our aim was to evaluate how the aboveground biomass and biodiversity relationship change between three Cerrado remnants with different protection status: a ‘control area’ (Legal Reserve area), a protected area (PA) and a non-protected area (Non-PA). Methods All three studied fragments are situated in northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. We estimated the aboveground carbon stocks based on the forest inventory. We also measured three dimensions of biodiversity metrics for each plot: functional trait dominance, taxonomic diversity and functional diversity. The following functional traits were evaluated for the species: wood density, maximum diameter and seed size. We carried out generalized linear models seeking to evaluate how carbon stocks, community-weighted mean (CWM) trait values, species richness and diversity, and functional diversity indices differ among the remnants. Important Findings The Cerrado areas without protection status had lower carbon stocks, species richness, species diversity, functional richness and functional dispersion, whereas both PA and Non-PA had lower CWM maximum diameter and seed size compared with the Legal Reserve control area. Generalized linear models showed that carbon stocks, species and functional richness metrics were correlated within and across sites, and thus, species richness could serve as a good proxy for functional richness and carbon stocks. The carbon stocks were positively driven by species richness and CWM maximum diameter, while they were negatively driven by functional dispersion. Functional richness, species diversity and CWM seed size appeared in the set of best models, but with no significant direct effect on carbon stocks. Thus, we concluded that absence of protection in the Cerrado areas decreases both species richness and carbon stocks.

Deadwood is an important component for conserving carbon stock (C-stock) and maintaining species diversity in forests. In the last years, some studies emphasized that the estimation of deadwood C-s...

Summary: The aim of this study was to conduct the first comprehensive evaluation of carbon stock in the sediments of Avicennia marina (black mangrove) and Rhizophora mucronata (red mangrove) along the coastline of an arid region (Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia). Such information is necessary for the development of any management plan for the mangrove ecosystems along the Saudi Red Sea islands and provide a rationale for the restoration of mangrove forests in Saudi Arabia. A. marina and R. mucronata locations showed significant (P < 0.001) differences in sediment bulk density (SBD) and sediment organic carbon (SOC) concentration with higher mean values for both in the sediments of A. marina. Considering the whole depth of sediment sampled (0–50 cm), the highest value of SOC stock (12.3 kg C m−2) was recorded at A. marina locations and the lowest (10.8 kg C m−2) at R. mucronata locations. Thus, the SOC stock of A. marina was greater than that of R. mucronata by 114.3%. Consequently, considering the rate of carbon sequestration and the area of mangrove forests (216.4 ha), the total carbon sequestration potential of mangroves in the Farasan Islands ranged between 10.3 Mg C yr−1 and 11.8 Mg C yr−1 for R. mucronata and A. marina locations, respectively. Thus, it is necessary to protect and restore these ecosystems for the sequestration of carbon and for their other valuable ecosystem services. Keywords: Blue carbon, Carbon sequestration, Carbon stocks, Climate change, Coastal ecosystems

Aims Forest biomass carbon (C) stocks are usually estimated by multiplying biomass by a C conversion factor, i.e. C concentration. Thus, tree C concentration is crucial to the assessments of forest C cycles. As stems contribute to the large fraction of tree biomass, the canonical value of 50% or other simplified values of stem C concentration are widely used to represent the values of tree C concentration in the estimations of forest C stocks at different scales. However, C concentration variations between tree organs and within tree size and their impacts on forest C stocks are still unclear. Methods We conducted a global analysis of organ C concentration in age-specific trees based on 576 records of tree age, size (diameter at breast height and biomass) and C concentration data to evaluate the relationships between organ C concentrations and the changes of stem C concentration with tree age and size. Important Findings Tree C concentration varied significantly with organs. Stem C concentration of trees was significantly correlated with that of other tree organs, except for barks and reproductive organs. The stem C concentration increased significantly with tree size and age, which contributed to the increases in C contents of stems and trees. Using the C concentration in stems to represent the C concentrations of other organs and the whole tree could produce considerable errors in the estimations of forest C stocks (−8.6% to 25.6% and −2.5% to 5.9%, respectively). Our findings suggest that tree C accumulation in forests is related to the size- and age-dependent increases in stem C concentration and using specific C concentration values of tree organs can improve the estimations of forest C stocks.

Variation in tree biomass and carbon (C) stocks in tropical dry forests is important at both regional and global scale to know their contribution in global C cycle. In Indian tropical forests, the ...

The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine carbon stock changes in the soil and forest floor of black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) plantations in Turkey; (2) to determine the effects of thinning on annual carbon accumulation in both; and, (3) to investigate relationships between annual carbon storage in soil and forest floor and stand characteristics of black pine. Samples were taken in 90 plots from stands at the pole (dbh = 11.0–19.9 cm) and sawlog (dbh = 20.0–35.9 cm) stages. Carbon analyses of soil and forest floor samples showed that in unthinned plantations significant organic carbon was sequestered an average of 1.47 Mg ha−1 a−1 in the soil and 0.20 Mg ha−1 a−1 in the forest floor. Organic carbon sequestered annually in the soil was significantly lower in thinned than in unthinned stands, while differences in the forest floor were insignificant. There were positive correlations between carbon sequestered in the soil and stand age, average DBH, mean stand height, basal area, and site index. Carbon sequestered the forest floor increased with basal area. As a result, carbon sequestered in the soil should not be ignored in greenhouse gas inventories because carbon stored belowground was approximately 70% of the aboveground pool.

Four community-managed Sal forests in Dadeldhura district of Nepal were selected for the assessment of carbon stock. The stratified random sampling method was applied to measure the field data from...

Agroforestry practices that integrate trees into farming are known to enhance carbon sequestration and plant species diversity in agricultural landscapes. Their contribution however, varies depending on a number of factors including elevation gradients. In this study, we quantified the carbon (C) stock and woody species diversity in tree-ensete dominated homegarden agroforestry practice along an elevation gradient in Hawassa Zuria District, southern Ethiopia. The elevation was stratified into upper, middle and lower gradient and two hamlets were randomly selected from each elevation category. Data on number, diameter and height of woody species were collected from 42 sample home gardens. Soil samples were also taken at 0–60 cm soil depth from each sample home garden for soil organic carbon (SOC) determination. A total of 49 woody species belonging to 31 families were recorded. The diversity differed significantly (p

This study aims at estimating the carbon emission from biomass carbon stock change in tropical forests of Sarawak, Malaysia, within the years 2005–2014 as a consequence of wood harvesting. Emission inventory has been developed in the study, based on Tier 1 methodology of 2006 IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). To the best of our knowledge, this paper is among the first papers to utilize 2006 IPCC Guidelines for computing change in biomass carbon stocks. From the results obtained, it was found that overall carbon emission was a net gain for Sarawak. During the period of 2005–2014 net gain in biomass carbon stocks was observed with values ranging from 28.76 Mt C or 105.44 CO2 equivalent to 39.03 Mt C or 143.11 CO2 equivalent. Whereas emission from wood removal has started to decrease since 2008 from 6.28 Mt C to 2013 at 4.64 Mt C due to lesser wood removed resulting from global economic crisis. Rapid changes in areas of tropical forests was and varying evaluation method were identified to be the major problem. High uncertainty of data currently in existence for this tropic region highlights the need for additional field investigations in the effort of evaluating future biomass carbon stock. Keywords: Biomass carbon stock, Gain-loss method, Forest remain forest, Tier 1, Wood removal

Tree and stand volume estimates are relevant for forest inventories, forest sales, and carbon stock evaluations. Forest practice commonly uses generalized stem-wood volume functions; however, such generalized approaches neglect the stem form in detail. Hence, trees of a given species with the same diameter at breast height (d1.3) and height (h) are always assumed to have the same form factor and thus the same volume. This case study focused on stem form variation of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) due to competition effects. Using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), we measured the stem shape of 868 trees from a long-term spacing and thinning experiment in Germany. The plots covered a broad density range. We analysed the effect of competition and compared the TLS-determined stem volume estimates with those determined conventionally. TLS-based volume estimations showed that the lower the competition was, the lower the tree volume was with a given d1.3 and h. Commonly used functions underestimated the volume stock overall by 4.2%, disregarding any levels. At plot level, underestimation varied from 0.7% to 7.0%. At tree level, the volume was under- and over-estimated by −10% to +10%, respectively. The more precise the examination was, the more suitable the application of TLS was for enhancing volume estimation.

Accurate estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) are critical for evaluating the impacts of crop and nutrient management practices on soil sustainability and global climate change. Temporal and spatial variations in topsoil (0–0.20 m) SOC were analyzed using 43,743 soil samples in China’s croplands. The soil database in our study was collected from the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) China Program. The results showed an increasing trend in SOC density (SOCD) for both grain and cash crops from 1991 to 2012. The average SOCD increased by 16.8, 17.4, 11.8 and 8.7% in the north central, northwest, southeast and southwest regions, respectively, whereas average SOCD decreased by 1.3% for the northeast region between the 1991–2001 and 2002–2012 periods. For both grain and cash crops, the SOCD frequency distribution (%) increased in the ranges of 10–20, 20–30 and 30–40 Mg C ha−1 from the 1991–2001 to the 2002–2012, but decreased in the ranges of 0–10 and 50–60 Mg C ha−1. Additionally, SOCD increased in most major soil types across China’s cropland regions, except in phaeozems, chernozems and umbrisols, where it decreased by 8.6–18.7% mainly due to water runoff, soil erosion, and low C input. The overall SOC stock (SOCS) in China’s cropland increased by 260 Tg C (23.7 Tg C yr−1) from 1991–2001 to 2002–2012, which was partially due to the increased crop residue return, improved fertilization and adopted conservation tillage over the period. This SOC increase represents a potential offset in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that could help reduce the overall net CO2 emissions in China.

International audience; Mapping the spatial variation of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) at the national or regional scale is important for estimating carbon emissions and removals and contributing to global stocktake and balancing the carbon budget. Recently, several gridded forest AGB products have been produced for China by integrating remote sensing data and field measurements, yet significant discrepancies remain among these products in their estimated AGB carbon, varying from 5.04 to 9.81 Pg C. To reduce this uncertainty, here, we first compiled independent, high-quality field measurements of AGB using a systematic and consistent protocol across China from 2011 to 2015. We applied two different approaches, an optimal weighting technique (WT) and a random forest regression method (RF), to develop two observationally constrained hybrid forest AGB products in China by integrating five existing AGB products. The WT method uses a linear combination of the five existing AGB products with weightings that minimize biases with respect to the field measurements, and the RF method uses decision trees to predict a hybrid AGB map by minimizing the bias and variance with respect to the field measurements. The forest AGB stock in China was 7.73 Pg C for the WT estimates and 8.13 Pg C for the RF estimates. Evaluation with the field measurements showed that the two hybrid AGB products had a lower RMSE (29.6 and 24.3 Mg/ha) and bias (-4.6 and -3.8 Mg/ha) than all five participating AGB datasets. Our study demonstrated both the WT and RF methods can be used to harmonize existing AGB maps with field measurements to improve the spatial variability and reduce the uncertainty of carbon stocks. The new spatial AGB maps of China can be used to improve estimates of carbon emissions and removals at the national and subnational scales.

Tropical forests play a key role in climate change mitigation by sequestering and storing carbon from the atmosphere. In Ethiopia, there are inadequate data in the form of carbon accumulation records or databank to assess the carbon sequestration potential of different forests. This study intended to estimate the living biomass and carbon stocks of woody plants in Chilimo-Gaji Forest. Totally, 10 circular plots with 20 m radius each having 1,256 m2, estimated the biomass of 17 tree species using the nondestructive allometric equation. The total woody biomass of the study area estimated to be 1013.3 t ha-1, of which, about 83.3 % (844.4 t ha-1) was aboveground, and 16.7% (168.9 t ha-1) was below ground biomass. The total carbon stocks and total carbon sequestration potential of the study area was about 506.7 t C ha-1 and 1859.45 t ha-1, respectively. The result indicates that the Chilimo-Gaji Forest has huge potential for carbon stock compared to research conducted on other remnant forests in Ethiopia. This is mainly due to the improvement in the forest stocks as a result of participatory forest management practices in the area. Generally, Chilimo-Gaji Forest is playing a vital role in carbon sequestration, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. Therefore, in the future, the forest can generate carbon credits as financial benefits to the indigenous population, which could help to strengthen the conservation efforts of forest resources in the study area.

The process of converting natural ecosystems in cultivated areas, as well as use and land management systems have provided changes in aggregate stability and soil carbon stocks levels. The objectiv...

Remote sensing (RS)-assisted estimates of forest carbon stocks are essential for modelling carbon budgets at large scales. Research on the dynamic variations in forest biomass and carbon st...

The carbon sequestered in harvested wood products (HWP) can contribute to climate change mitigation. As a fast-growing country with abundant forest resources, Indonesia potentially has vast HWP carbon stocks that need to be accurately assessed as a first step towards understanding the extent of their potential contribution in climate change mitigation. In this study, a dynamic materials stock and flow analysis for carbon in wood-based products in Indonesia was conducted, covering six end-use sectors. In general, only around 30.3% of the harvested wood (carbon mass) was converted into end-use materials in 2014, indicating a significantly low harvested wood conversion rate in Indonesia. There was a significant increase of wood-based products’ carbon stocks in Indonesia from 1961 to 2016. There were 72 (-17/+15) Mt-C of wood stocks in Indonesian society in 2016, or equivalent to 0.28 t-C/capita. Buildings (42%) and infrastructure (31%) were the largest contributors to in-use carbon stocks. The product lifetime uncertainty had a significant influence on the estimate of total society’s wood-based carbon stock. Indonesia’s in-use stock of wood-based products in 2008 was below its stock level of steel (1.2 times smaller) and cement (5.3 times smaller). Both wood-steel and wood-cement stock ratios showed declining trends, indicating a shifting trend to non-renewable materials use over the past decades. This is the first study that accounts for the in-use wood-based carbon stocks in a developing country. Its results can facilitate further quantitative environmental assessments of non-renewable materials substitution and could help framing materials use policies for climate change mitigation.

Land uses and soil and water conservation (SWC) structures affect topsoil moisture and carbon stocks, particularly in the water deficit semi-arid environment of the northern Ethiopian highlands. Th...

A study was conducted on mango orchards with different collar diameter in the age group 2–10 years old with the objective of finding out the best growth model for prediction of biomass and carbon s...

The present study is aimed to study regeneration status, population structure, soil characteristics and carbon stock of seven regenerating banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) forests in the central Himalaya. The phytosociological study was done by using ten 10 m × 10 m quadrat at each site. Biomass and carbon stock of trees were calculated by using regression equations. Soil samples were collected from three depths (0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm) by using soil corer. The tree density of two most dominant species of the study sites i.e. banj oak and pine (Pinus roxburghii) varied from 260–1200 trees ha−1 and 90–300 trees ha−1, respectively. Whereas, basal area of banj oak and pine varied between 5.5–21.0 m2 ha−1 and 6.4–26.0 m2 ha−1, respectively. Density-diameter curve indicated the increasing population of banj oak while declining pine in all the sites. Carbon density of the banj oak was found between 46.96–167.36 Mg ha−1 and in pine it was 17.18–72.95 Mg ha−1. Soil nutrient (especially carbon and nitrogen) improved with increase in density and basal area of forests. Additionally, substantial amount of carbon stored by these trees makes them viable for the region. Thus, identification and conservation of such forests are recommended.

Tropical mountain forests provide an exceptional opportunity to evaluate the patterns of variation in carbon stocks along elevational gradients that correspond to well‐defined temperature gradients. We predicted that carbon stored in live aboveground biomass, aboveground necromass, and soil components of forests on the eastern flank of the Colombian Andes would change with elevation along this gradient extending from 750 to 2,800 m above sea level. The rationale was that the corresponding change in temperature (14–26°C) would influence tree growth and decomposition of organic matter. To address this hypothesis, we examined the carbon stored in these three components using data from 20 0.25‐ha plots located along this elevational gradient. The mean total carbon stock found in the study region was 241.3 ± 37.5 Mg C/ha. Aboveground carbon stocks decreased with elevation (p = 0.001), as did necromass carbon stocks (p = 0.016). Although soil organic carbon stocks did not differ significantly along the gradient (p = 0.153), they contributed proportionately more at higher than at lower elevations, counterbalancing the opposite trends in aboveground carbon and necromass carbon stocks. As such, total carbon stocks did not vary significantly along the elevational gradient (p = 0.576).

Indigenous forests represent South Africa’s smallest biome, yet they are critical spaces for aligning sustainable development goals with carbon mitigation activities and conservation. The o...

It is necessary to estimate carbon (C) stored in urban vegetation for the purpose of carbon accounting and trading. This study aims to develop a refined method for reliably estimating above...

This study aims at developing a remote sensing based model to estimate carbon stock (CS) in date palm plantations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data from Landsat 8 OLI were used to assess the correlation between spectral reflectance and different vegetation indices on one side, and aboveground biomass (AGB) derived from ground measurements on the other. AGB and CS (ton ha−1) were estimated using traditional destructive methods of standard sampling techniques and allometric equations developed in a previous study for date palms in the area. The relationships between the estimated AGB and parameters derived from remote sensing (RS) data were tested using single and multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicated a significant correlation with certain RS parameters. For mature palms class alone (>10 years), the correlation with single bands was only significant with SWIR1 and SWIR2 while the correlation was significant with all tested VI’s except for TCB vegetation index. A combination of bands R, SWIR1, and SWIR2 improved the determination of this class to a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.961. However, for the medium and young age classes (10–5 and less than 5 years), the correlation was not significant (with the exception of SWIR1 and TCB index for medium class), where the use of higher spatial resolution can be a good alternative. On the other hand, for mixed ages (young, medium and mature palms), the strongest correlations were found using SWIR2 single band and the SR vegetation index; having R2 values of 0.753 and 0.871, respectively. The R2 was improved to 0.952 by using stepwise multiple regression combining DVI, NDI, and RVI vegetation indices. Finally, results obtained showed that CS represented 53.87% of the total AGB in date palms. Subsequently, the average amount of carbon stock (CS) for both mature and mixed classes was calculated at 15.81 and 10.3 ton ha−1 respectively.

This article assesses the effect of different logging levels on loss of above-ground biomass and the contribution of different ecological groups of species in the long-term recovery of C st...