Storage and Flux of Organic Carbon in Young <I>Tectona grandis</I> Plantations in Moist Deciduous Forest

Abstract

Enhancing carhon sink through creation of manmade forests is heing considered as a mitigation option to reduce the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide level. Fixation of carbon occurs through a cyclic process, which was studied in an age series plantations (I, 5, 11, 18, 24 and 30 year) in Tarai forest of Kumaun Himalayan region. Organic carbon concentration in different plant tissues was assessed and multiplied hy the biomass to get total carbon content. Concentration percent was found different in different plant tissues. It ranged from 49.34% to 56.79%. Standing state varied between 1.62 t/ha and 74.38 t/ha. Net uptake after correction of retranslocated amount ranged hetween 0.94 t/ha/year and 5.99 t/hal year. Total carbon return on forest floor through litter fall was hetween 0.90 t/ha/year and 3.36 t/ha/year. Soil pool contained 35.7 t/ha to 43.9 t/ha and total system stored 46 t/ha to 113 t/ha of carhon. Storage and flux of organic carbon in different plant parts of different plantations were assessed and depicted through compartment models. Carhon budgeting indicated that Teak plantation is an accumulating system. Regression equations were developed between girth and total carbon content using y = a + bx equation (where y = total carbon, x = girth at breast height, a and b = equation constants). Except in one year plantation these equations were significant at 1% level.