Research Journal of Recent Sciences : Above-ground biomass and carbon stored by teak (Tectona grandis) in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India (2024)

Abstract

Earth's most crucial greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2), a gas responsible for absorbing and emitting heat. An accurate characterization of above-ground biomass and tree carbon in tropical forest is important to estimate their contribution to Global Carbon stocks. A non-invasive method was used to estimate the carbon stored by the dominant tree species of Gir National Park and Sanctuary (GNPS) i.e., Teak. Circular plots of 10 x 10 m were laid in GNPS with a systemic random sampling to get the Girth at Breast Height (GBH) of the trees. An allometric equation with GBH as one of the independent variables was already developed for Teak and was used to estimate the total biomass and stored Carbon in present study. The result indicates that total dry biomass in National Park is 189.07 ± 6.7 kg per tree. The Carbon sequestered per tree is 94.5(±3.3) with 16.34 (±0.02) tonnes of carbon and 59.96 tonnes of CO2 per hectare. In case of Wildlife sanctuary, the total dry biomass was 202.42 kg (± 18.2) per tree. The carbon sequestered per tree is 101.21 kg (± 9.14) with 9.113 (± 0.02) tonnes of carbon and 33.44 tonnes of CO2 per hectare. It is the first study to estimate dry biomass and carbon stored by the tress in GNPS and the carbon storage vary among species so there is need to estimate carbon stored by other tree species in future. Carbon sequestration plays a vital role in addressing climate change. Considering the impact of climate change, a synergistic approach involving both bioenergy and carbon sequestration emerges as the most effective strategy for long-term mitigation of CO2 emissions.

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