Carbon stock estimation for tree species of Sem Mukhem sacred forest in Garhwal Himalaya, India

Abstract

Carbon stock estimation was conducted in tree species of Sem Mukhem sacred forest in district Tehri of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. This forest is dedicated to Nagraj Devta and is dominated by tree species, including Quercus floribunda, Quercus semecarpifolia and Rhododendron arboreum. The highest values of below ground biomass density, total biomass density and total carbon density were (34.81±1.68) Mg·ha⁻¹, (168.26±9.04) Mg·ha⁻¹ and (84.13±4.18) Mg·ha⁻¹ for Pinus wallichiana. Overall values of total biomass density and total carbon density calculated were 1549.704 Mg·ha⁻¹ and 774.77 Mg·ha⁻¹ respectively. Total value of growing stock volume density for all species was 732.56 m³·ha⁻¹ and ranged from (144.97±11.98) m³·ha⁻¹ for Pinus wallichiana to (7.78±1.78) m³·ha⁻¹ for Benthamidia capitata.

Keywords

carbon / management / sacred forest / biomass / density

References

[1] Bolin B, Sukumar R. Watson RT, Noble IR, Bolin B, Ravindrananth N H, Verardo DJ, Dokken DJ. Landuse, landuse change and forestry. Special Report. 2000, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

[2] Brown SL, Schrooder P, Kern JS. Spatial distribution of biomass in forests of the eastern USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 1999, 123(1): 81-90.

[3] Chaturvedi AN. General standard volume tables for Semal (Bombax ceiba L.). Indian Forest Records. 1973, Dehra Dun: Manager of Publications, Forest Research Institute, 1 8

[4] Hall CAS, Uhlig J. Refining estimates of carbon released from tropical landuse change. Can J Forest Res, 1991, 21(1): 118-131.

[5] IPCC. Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry. 2000, Edinburgh: Cambridge University Press, 2 300

[6] IPCC. Climate Change 2001, 2001

[7] IPCC. Climate Change 2007, 2007

[8] Knight DH. A distance method for constructing forest profile diagrams and obtaining structural data. Trop Ecol, 1963, 4: 89-94.

[9] Mishra R. Ecology Work Book. 1968, Calcutta: Oxford and IBM publishing Co, 244.

[10] Negi JDS, Manhas RK, Chauhan PS. Carbon allocation in different components of some tree species of India: a new approach for carbon estimation. Curr Sci, 2003, 85(11): 1528-1531.

[11] Sharma RP, Jain RC. General standard volume tables for Jamun (Syzygium cumini). Indian Forest Records. 1977, Dehra Dun: Manager of Publications, Forest Research Institute, 1 9

[12] Tiwari AK, Singh JS. Analysis of forest land-use and vegetation in a part of Central Himalaya, using aerial photographs. Environmental Conservation, 1987, 14(3): 233-244.