Biomass Production and Carbon Storage Potential of Some Important Temperate Forest Types of Garhwal Himalaya

C. M. Sharma Department of Botany HNB Garhwal University Srinagar Garhwal Uttarakhand (India)

Importance of Work  Differential biomass production and carbon storage in broad-leaved and conifer forest types.  Potential of old-growth forests.  Altitude v/s production.  Comparison with other forests.

Objectives Quantification of: 1. Growing Stock (GSVD) 2. Total Live-tree Biomass Productivity (TBD) 3. Carbon storage potential (TCD)

 At different altitudes of old-growth forests

Old Growth Means

Girth=14.10meter Cedrus deodara

Girth=5.30meter Cupressus torulosa

Girth=2.53meter Quercus semecarpifolia

Methods 

05 sample plots (0.1 ha)×15 forest types =75 plots.  Slope Correction (For slopes>10%) L=Ls*cos S Area= Bs*L

Where L is the true horizontal plot distance, Ls is standard distance measured in the field along the slope S is the value of slope in degrees(using Clinometer) Bs is breadth of sample plot

Abies pindrow

Cupressus torulosa

Coniferous Forests

Cedrus deodara

Pinus roxburghii

Quercus glauca

Alnus nepalensis

Broad-Leaved Forests

Quercus semecarpifolia

Quercus floribunda

1. Calculation of Growing Stock Density (GSVD) :  Using volume tables or volume equations.  The species for which volume tables/equations were not available as per convention the volume of those species was calculated using volume tables/equations of similar species having similar height, form, taper and growth rate.(FSI,1996).

2. Total biomass Density (TBD) *Only live-tree biomass was calculated TBD(Mgha−1)=AGBD(Mgha−1)+BGBD(Mgha−1)

2a. Above Ground Biomass Density (AGBD) (As per Brown and Schroeder, 1999)

 AGBD (Mgha−1) = GSVD (m3 ha−1) x BEF (Mg m-3 )  Where, GSVD = Growing Stock Volume Density (m3 ha-1)  BEF=Biomass Expansion Factor(Mg m-3)

 BEF(Mg m-3)=Total AGBD of all living trees(dbh≥2.5 cm) Growing stock volume

 The BEFs were calculated using the following equations:  For Hardwoods: BEF = exp {1.912 – (0.344 x ln GSVD)} If GSVD was > 200 m3 ha-1, BEF =1.0 Mg m-3 was used. (Brown and Schroeder, 1999)  For Spruce-Fir: BEF = exp {1.771 - (0.339 x ln GSVD)} If GSVD > 160 m3 ha-1, BEF =1.0 Mg m-3 was used. (Brown and Schroeder , 1999)  For Pines: GSVD < 10 m3 ha-1 , BEF = 1.68 Mg m−3 GSVD 10 – 100 m3 ha-1, BEF = 0.95 Mg m−3 GSVD > 100 m3 ha-1, BEF = 0.81 Mg m-3. (Brown and Schroeder, 1999) The equation of Spruce-Fir was also applied for other conifer dominated forest cover types.

b. Below Ground Biomass Density (BGBD) (in Mg ha−1) (Cairns et al., 1997) BGBD= exp {−1.059 + 0.884×ln (AGBD) + 0.284}

• Alternate Method: Root Biomass(BGBD)=Root fraction X AGBD Where Root fraction=0.26(Cairns et al., 1997) * However in this study the first method was used

3. Total Carbon Density(TCD): TCD(MgCha−1)=Biomass (Mg ha−1)×Carbon fraction TCD= AGBC+BGBC AGBC= AGBD X Carbon fraction BGBC=BGBD X Carbon fraction where Carbon fraction = 0.50 (IPCC,2006)

Outcome Of The Study • The Growing Stock oscillated between 134.60±10.71 m3 ha−1 (Moist Mixed Temperate Deciduous forest)

546.70 ± 20.51 m3 ha−1 (Cedrus deodara forest)

Live-tree Biomass • The Total Biomass production ranged between

214.52±10.93Mg ha-1 (Moist Mixed Temperate Deciduous forest)

667.62 ±24.51 Mg ha-1 (Cedrus deodara forest)

 TBD values for Coniferous forests 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Cedrus deodara forest (667.62±24.51 Mg ha-1) Abies pindrow forest (626.31±25.04 Mg ha-1) Cupressus torulosa forest (494.30±22.38 Mg ha-1) Pinus roxburghii forest (447.72±12.03 Mg ha-1) Picea smithiana forest (380.15±13.03 Mg ha-1) Conifer Mixed forest (361.01±19.61 Mg ha-1)

TBD values for Broad-leaved forests 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Aesculus indica forest (527.63±17.52 Mg ha-1) Quercus glauca forest (512.99±32.40 Mg ha-1) Q. floribunda forest (511.16±24.12 Mg ha-1) Q. semecarpifolia forest(507.82±3.98 Mg ha-1) Acer acuminatum forest (504.00±2.47 Mg ha-1) Mixed Broad-leaved forest (330.82±11.53 Mg ha-1) Q. leucotrichophora forest (272.50±14.59 Mg ha-1) Alnus nepalensis forest(268.84±11.28 Mg ha-1) Moist Mix. Temperate Deciduous forest (214.52±10.93 Mg ha-1)

Carbon Stocks • Carbon storage potential ranged between

96.53 ± 4.92 Mg C ha-1 (Moist Mixed Temperate Deciduous forest)

307.11± 11.28 Mg C ha-1 (Cedrus deodara forest)

Carbon Storage Potential  The overall highest AGBC and BGBC values were recorded for

Cedrus deodara forest :  AGBC 251.48±9.43 Mg C ha-1  BGBC 55.623±1.84 Mg C ha-1

= 307.103 Mg C ha-1

followed by:      

Abies pindrow forest (288.10±11.52 Mg C ha-1) Aesculus indica forest (237.43±7.88 Mg C ha-1) Quercus glauca forest (230.84±14.58 Mg C ha-1) Q .floribunda forest (230.02±10.85 Mg C ha-1) Q. semecarpifolia forest (228.52±14.39 Mg C ha-1) Cupressus torulosa forest (227.38±10.29 Mg C ha-1)

1600,00 1400,00 1200,00 1000,00 800,00

TCD

TBD

600,00

GS

400,00 200,00 0,00

Elevation (m asl)

Graph depicts Increase in GS (m3 ha-1), TBD(Mg ha-1 ) and TCD(Mg C ha-1) up to 2750m asl

• High degree of linearly significant and positive correlation of altitude was recorded with:  Growing Stock (R2=0.4817; r=0.694)  Biomass Production(R2=0.5508; r=0.742)  Carbon Storage Potential (R2=0.5524; r=0.743)

a. Mean altitude and GS

b. Mean altitude and TBD

c. Mean altitude and TCD

Comparison between estimates of Biomass and Carbon stocks per unit area in different temperate forests: S.No

FOREST

1

Temperate Forests

2

Temperate forests

AUTHOR Edwards et al (1989) Dixon et al (1994)

AGBD (Mg ha-1) 79.00

TCD (Mg C ha-1) 169.00

-

57.00

3

Hardwood forests of USA

Brown et al (1999)

36.00 - 344.00

-

4

Cedrus deodara forest of India

Haripriya (2000)

141.20

-

5

Temperate forests of the World

Malhi (1998); Press et al(2000)

-

125.00

6

Non-degraded Pine-Oak Jina et al (2008) forests of kumaun Central Himalaya Temperate Forests North Biao Zhu et al East China (2010)

-

173.70-262.60

-

52.00 – 245.00

171.19 - 546.70

96.53 - 307.11

7 8

Present Study

Present study

Outcomes of the Study  Highest live-tree biomass existed between 2250 and 2750 m asl.  The AGBD values were always 81% of the total Carbon Density. However, for other Indian forests this value is always 76 % (Haripriya,2003).  Conifer forests store more carbon than broad-leaved forests.  Cedrus deodara forests were most productive in terms of biomass production and carbon storage.

 High Biomass and Carbon storage capacity due to selection of Less Disturbed Old Growth forests.  Unlike earlier studies by Odum 1969; Mellilo et al. 1995 and Jarvis 1989 old-growth forests continue to accumulate C.  Conservation of old-growth forests is important because the regenerating forests will take more time to sequester and store the amount of carbon equivalent to that stored in mature old-growth forests .

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