Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Carbon sequestration potential in natural forests of Himachal Pradesh, India


Affiliations
1 School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior 474 011, India
 

Natural forests play a key role in the mitigation of atmospheric carbon dioxide by sequestering it in their biological system as well as in the soil. In the present study we have assessed the carbon sequestration potential of different natural forests of Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, India, which were subjected to different levels of anthropogenic activities. Above- and below-ground carbon stock present in standing vegetation was analysed at six different forest sites of subtropical forests utilizing the non-destructive method. The stem density in the present study ranged from 474.75 to 799.75 trees/ha. The result shows that carbon stock was highest at site II (131.95 t C/ha) and lowest at site I (70.34 t C/ha), although highest tree density was observed at site I and lowest at site V. The average carbon stock of the study area was recorded as 107.35 t C/ha. The results suggest that tree density and carbon stock in these subtropical forests differ significantly and with proper management strategies and afforestation of the degraded areas, the potential of carbon storage can be enhanced further.

Keywords

Anthropogenic activities, carbon sequestration, natural forests, standing vegetation
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Li, K., Wang, S. and Cao, M., Vegetation and soil carbon storage in China. Sci. China Ser. D (English edn), 2004, 47(1), 49–57.

  • Banday, M., Bhardwaj, D. R. and Pala, N. A., Variation of stem density and vegetation carbon pool in subtropical forests of northwestern Himalaya. J. Sustain. For., 2018, 37(4), 389–402.

  • Dixon, R. K., Brown, S., Solomon, A. M., Houghton, R. A., Trexier, M. C. and Wisniewski, J., Carbon pools and flux of global forest ecosystems. Science, 1994, 263(5144), 185–190.

  • Sundquist, E. T. et al., Carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change: US Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2008, 2008–3097.

  • Lal, R., Carbon sequestration. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. B, 2008, 363(1492), 815–830.

  • Lal, R., Forest soils and carbon sequestration. For. Ecol. Manage., 2005, 220(1–3), 242–258.

  • Vashum, K. T. and Jayakumar, S., Methods to estimate aboveground biomass and carbon stock in natural forests – a review. J. Ecosyst. Ecogr, 2012, 2(4), 1–7.

  • Bhat, D. M. and Ravindranath, N. H., Above-ground standing biomass and carbon stock dynamics under a varied degree of anthropogenic pressure in tropical rain forests of Uttara Kannada District, Western Ghats, India. Taiwania, 2011, 56(2), 85–96.

  • Shah, S., Sharma, D. P., Tripathi, P. and Pala, N. A., Carbon partitioning in subtropical Pinus roxburghii forest, Solan, India. J. Trop. For. Sci., 2014, 26(3), 355–361.

  • Semwal, D. P., Uniyal, P. L., Bahuguna, Y. M. and Bhatt, A. B., Soil nutrient storage under different forest types in a part of central Himalayas, India. Ann. For., 2009, 17(1), 43–52.

  • Liu, Y., Lei, P., Xiang, W., Yan, W. and Chen, X., Accumulation of soil organic C and N in planted forests fostered by tree species mixture. Biogeosciences, 2017, 14(17), 3937–3945.

  • Aryal, S., Bhattarai, D. R. and Devkota, R. P., Comparison of carbon stocks between mixed and pine-dominated forest stands within the Gwalinidaha Community Forest in Lalitpur District, Nepal. Small-Scale For., 2013, 12(4), 659–666.

  • Sharma, C. M. and Baduni, N. P., Structural attributes and growing stock variations on different aspects of high Himalayan and Siwalik chir pine forests. J. Trop. For. Sci., 2000, 12(3), 482–492.

  • Anderson, J. M. and Ingram, J. S. I., Tropical soil biology and fertility: a handbook of methods. Soil Sci., 1994, 157(4), 265.

  • MacDicken, K. G., A guide to mountain carbon storage in forestry and agroforestry projects. International Institute for Agricultural Development, Forest Carbon Monitoring Programme, Arlington VA (US), Winrock, 1997.

  • Brown, S. and Lugo, A. E., The storage and production of organic matter in tropical forests and their role in the global carbon cycle Biotropica, 1982, 14(3), 161–187.

  • Naudiyal, N. and Schmerbeck, J., The changing Himalayan landscape: pine–oak forest dynamics and the supply of ecosystem services. J. For. Res., 2017, 28(3), 431–443.

  • Brown, P. M., Bhattacharyya, A. and Shah, S. K., Potential for developing fire histories in chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests in the Himalayan foothills. Tree-Ring Res., 2011, 67(1), 57–62.

  • Kelty, M. J., The role of species mixtures in plantation forestry. For. Ecol. Manage., 2006, 233(2–3), 195–204.

  • Zhao, S. Q., Liu, S., Li, Z. and Sohl, T. L., Ignoring detailed fastchanging dynamics of land use overestimates regional terrestrial carbon sequestration. Biogeosciences, 2009, 6(8), 1647–1654.

  • Lugo, A. E. and Brown, S., Tropical forests as sinks of atmospheric carbon. For. Ecol. Manage., 1992, 54(1–4), 239–255.

  • Bunker, D. E. et al., Species loss and aboveground carbon storage in a tropical forest. Science, 2005, 310(5750), 1029–1031.


Abstract Views: 371

PDF Views: 135




  • Carbon sequestration potential in natural forests of Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract Views: 371  |  PDF Views: 135

Authors

Bandna Kumari
School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior 474 011, India
Avinash Tiwari
School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior 474 011, India
Jasra Anjum
School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior 474 011, India

Abstract


Natural forests play a key role in the mitigation of atmospheric carbon dioxide by sequestering it in their biological system as well as in the soil. In the present study we have assessed the carbon sequestration potential of different natural forests of Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, India, which were subjected to different levels of anthropogenic activities. Above- and below-ground carbon stock present in standing vegetation was analysed at six different forest sites of subtropical forests utilizing the non-destructive method. The stem density in the present study ranged from 474.75 to 799.75 trees/ha. The result shows that carbon stock was highest at site II (131.95 t C/ha) and lowest at site I (70.34 t C/ha), although highest tree density was observed at site I and lowest at site V. The average carbon stock of the study area was recorded as 107.35 t C/ha. The results suggest that tree density and carbon stock in these subtropical forests differ significantly and with proper management strategies and afforestation of the degraded areas, the potential of carbon storage can be enhanced further.

Keywords


Anthropogenic activities, carbon sequestration, natural forests, standing vegetation

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv122%2Fi7%2F846-849