Spatial Variation in Vegetation Carbon Stock in Forest Ecosystems of Rajasthan, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2019/v145i4/145125Keywords:
Biomass Distribution, Carbon-Storage, Dry Forest Ecosystem, Plant Habits.Abstract
The extent and distribution of dry forests play an important role in biodiversity conservation and carbon storage. Field measurements were carried out during 2008-2012 at 903 sampling plots in forests of 33 districts of Rajasthan and carbon stock due to trees, shrubs, bamboos, tree saplings, herbaceous vegetation and dead material (litter and coarse woody debris - CWD) were estimated for their spatial variation and to devise a programme of reforestation. There were significant (P<0.05) differences in carbon stock ranging from 0.02-0.91 tons ha-1 for litter, 0.00- 0.39 tons C ha-1 for CWD, 0.005-0.84 tons ha-1 for herbaceous biomass, 0.09-5.22 tons ha-1 for shrubs, 1.17-13.96 tons ha-1 for trees, 0.00-0.29 tons ha-1 for bamboo and 0.01-0.26 tons ha-1 for tree saplings. The variations were found to relate to rainfall pattern. Highest values were in Kota, Karauli, Rajasamand, Pratapgarh, Udaipur and Dungarpur respectively. Contribution of trees, shrubs, bamboos and sapling were 85.5%, 13.0%, 0.39% and 1.30%, respectively signifying the role of trees in terrestrial carbon storage. Lowest carbon stock was in Churu (0.051 million tons) and highest in Udaipur (8.079 million tons) out of total standing carbon stock, wherein 27.31 million tons was above-ground and 11.68 million tons was in root biomass in forests of Rajasthan. Strong spatial variations in component-wise carbon stock and below state average standing carbon stock in almost 15 districts in Rajasthan suggests taking up forest management by enrichment tree planting for increasing diversity and productivity leading to increased carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation.References
Ali A. and Yan E.R (2017). Relationships between biodiversity and carbon stocks in forest ecosystems: a systematic literature review. Tropical Ecol., 58(1):1-14.
Ardö J. and Olsson L. (2004). Soil carbon sequestration in traditional farming in Sudanese dry lands. Environ. Manag., 33:S318-S332.
Baishya R., Barik S. K. and Upadhaya K. (2009). Distribution pattern of aboveground biomass in natural and plantation forests of humid tropics in northeast India. Tropical Ecol., 50:295-304.
Bardgett R.D. and Wardle D.A. (2003). Herbivore-mediated linkages between aboveground and belowground communities. Ecology, 84:2258-2268.
Brown S. and Lugo A.E. (1982). The storage and production of organic matter in tropical forests and their role in the global carbon cycle. Biotropica, 14(3):161-187.
Castilho C.V. de, Magnusson W.E., Araújo R.N.O. de, Luizão R.C.C., Luizão F.J., Lima A.P., Higuchi N. (2006). Variation in aboveground tree life biomass in a central Amazonian forest: effects of soil and topography. For. Ecol. Manag., 234:85-96.
Celentano D., Zahawi R.A., Finegan B., Ostertag R., Cole R. J. and Holl K. D. (2011). Litterfall dynamics under different tropical forest restoration strategies in Costa Rica, Biotropica, 43:279-287.
Ceotto E. and Di Candilo M. (2011). Medium-term effect of perennial energy crops on soil organic carbon storage. Italian J. Agronomy, 6(4): 10. 4081/ija.2011.e33.
Champion H.G. and Seth S.K. (1968). A revised survey of the forest types of India. The Manager of Publications, New Delhi, India. 470p.
Chaturvedi R.K., Raghubanshi A. and Singh J. (2012). Biomass estimation of dry tropical woody species at juvenile stage. The Scientific World Journal, Volume 2012, 5 page, http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/790219
Chhabra A., Palria A. and Dadhwal V.K. (2002). Spatial distribution of forests phytomass carbon in Indian forests. Global Change Biol., 8:1230-1239.
Devine A.P., McDonald R.A., Quaife T. and Maclean I.M.D. (2017). Determinants of woody encroachment and cover in African savannas. Oecologia, 183(4): 939-951.
Eliáš P. and Marinièová P. (2017). Ecological functions of vegetation as potentials of ecosystem services (floodplain alder forest in the trÃbeè microregion). J. For. Sci., 63:126-35.
FAO (2010). Global forest resource assessment. FAO Forestry Paper 163. Rome, Italy.
Graça M.A.S. and Poquet J.M. (2014). Do climate and soil influence phenotypic variability in leaf litter, microbial decomposition and shredder consumption? Oecologia, 174:1021-1032.
Hattenschwiler S. Tiunov A.V. and Scheu S. (2005). Biodiversity and litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst., 36:191-218.
Huang X.Y., Chao D.Y., Gao J.P., Zhu M.Z., Shi M. and Lin H.X. (2009). A previously unknown zinc finger protein, DST, regulates drought and salt tolerance in rice via stomatal aperture control. Genes Dev., 23:1805-1817.
Huang Y., Ma Y., Zhao K., Niklaus P.A., Schmid B. and JinSheng He J.S. (2017). Positive effects of tree species diversity on litter fall quantity and quality along a secondary successional chronosequence in a subtropical forest. J. Plant Ecol., 10(1):28-35.
Júnior L.R.P., de Andrade E.M., Palácio H.A.Q., Raymer P.C.L., Filho J.C.R. and Pereira F.J.S. (2016). Carbon stocks in a tropical dry forest in Brazil. Revista Ciência Agronômica, 47(1):32-40.
Köhl M., Lasco R., Cifuentes M., Jonsson O., Korhonen K.T., Mundhenk P., Navar J.J. and Stinson G. (2015). Changes in forest production, biomass and carbon: Results from the 2015 UN FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment. For. Ecol. Manag., 352:21-34.
Lindsel J.A. and Klop E. (2013). Spatial and temporal variation of Carbon stocks in a lowland tropical forest in West Africa. Forest Ecology and Management, 289:10-17.
Lovett G.M., Burns D.A., Driscoll C.T., Jenkins J.C., Mitchell M.J., Rustad L., Shanley J.B., Likens G.E. and Haeuber R. (2007). Who needs environmental monitoring? Frontiers in Ecol. Environ., 5:253-260.
Mohanraj R., Saravanan J. and Dhanakumar S. (2011) Carbon stock in Kolli forests, Eastern Ghats (India) with emphasis on above-ground biomass, litter, woody debris and soils. iForest, 4:61-65.
Odiwe A.I., Adewumi R.A., Alimi A.A. and Ogunsanwo O. (2012). Carbon stock in topsoil, standing floor litter and above ground biomass in Tectona grandis plantation 10-years after establishment in Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria. Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci., 6(6):3006-3016.
Rice A.H, Pyle E.H., Saleska S.R., Hutyra L., Palace M., Keller M., de Camargo P.B., Portilho K., Marques D.F. and Wofsy S.C. (2004). Carbon balance and vegetation dynamics in an old-growth Amazonian forest. Ecological Applications, 4(4):S55-S71.
Ruiz-Peinado R., Bravo-Oviedo A., López-Senespleda L., Bravo F. and del RÃo M. (2017). Forest management and carbon sequestration in the Mediterranean region: a review. Forest Systems, 26 (2), eR04S, 25 pages (2017). eISSN: 2171-9845 https://doi.org/10.5424/fs/2017262-11205
Santos J.C. Leal I.R., Almeida-Cortez J.S., Fernandes G.W. and Tabarelli M. (2011). Caatinga: the scientific negligence experienced by a dry tropical forest. Tropical Conservation Sci., 4:276-286.
Sayer E.J., Tanner E.V.J. and Lacey A.L. (2006). Effects of litter manipulation on early-stage decomposition and mesoarthropod abundance in a tropical moist forest. For. Ecol. Manag., 229:285-293.
Scherer-Lorenzen M., Luis Bonilla J. and Potvin C. (2007). Tree species richness affects litter production and decomposition rates in a tropical biodiversity experiment. Oikos, 116: 2108-24.
Singh G. (2005). Carbon sequestration under an agr-isilvicultural system in the arid region. Indian Forester, 131(4):543-552.
Singh G. (2014). Studies on carbon sequestration in different forest types of Rajasthan. Report submitted to Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, Dehradun, India.
Singh A.N. and Singh J.S. (1999). Biomass, net primary production and impact of bamboo plantation on soil redevelopment in a dry tropical region. For. Ecol. Manag., 119:195-207.
Skutsch M.M. and Libasse B. (2010). Crediting carbon in dry forests: The potential for community forest management in West Africa. Forest Policy and Econ., 12:264-270.
Sundarapandian S.M., Dar J.A., Gandhi D.S., Kantipudi S. and Subashree K. (2013). Estimation of biomass and carbon stocks in tropical dry forests in Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu, India. Int. J. of Environ. Sci. Engin. Res., 4(3):66-76.
Takele G., Nigatu L. and Getachew A. (2014). Ecological and socio-economic importance of indigenous multipurpose fodder trees in three Districts of Wolayta Zone, Southern Ethiopia. J. Biodivers. Endanger Species 2:136. doi: 10.4172/2332-2543.1000136
Talbot J.D. (2010). Carbon and biodiversity relationships in tropical forests. Multiple Benefits Series 4. Prepared on behalf of the UN-REDD Programme. School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds / UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge.
Tamene L., Mponela P., Sileshi G.W., Chen J. and Tondoh J.E. (2016). Spatial variation in tree density and estimated aboveground carbon stocks in Southern Africa. Forests, 7:57. doi:10.3390/f7030057
Valim E.A.R., Nalini H.A. and Kozovits, A.R. (2013). Litterfall dynamics in an iron-rich rock outcrop complex in the southeastern portion of the Iron Quadrangle of Brazil. Acta Bot. Bras., 27:286-293.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Unless otherwise stated, copyright or similar rights in all materials presented on the site, including graphical images, are owned by Indian Forester.