Carbon density and C‐sequestration of tree plantation ecosystems in the mid‐hills of the NW‐ Himalayas

Implications for climate change mitigation

Bibliographic Data

ID21647987
AuthorsD R Bhardwaj (0000-0003-3504-0494, Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry Dr YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry Solan India), Akshay Kumar (0000-0001-7276-3443, Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry Dr YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry Solan India, corresponding author), Nazir A Pala (0000-0002-9481-8887, Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Faculty of Forestry Sher‐e‐Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir India), Prashant Sharma (0000-0003-4929-1809, Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry Dr YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry Solan India, corresponding author), Dhirender Kumar (0000-0002-1130-286X, Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry Dr YSP University of Horticulture and Forestry Solan India), Amit Kumar (0000-0003-4000-1780, School of Hydrology and Water Resources Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Nanjing PR China), Shiba Zahoor (Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Faculty of Forestry Sher‐e‐Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir India)
Year2022
Volume33
Issue12
Pages2115-2126
Publication date2022-07-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLand Degradation and Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1085-3278 • E-ISSN: 1099-145X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ldr.4307
OpenAlexW4225158263
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited64

In the current era of global warming, the Himalayan forests are under tremendous pressure due to intensified anthropogenic activity, resulting in the loss of forest diversity. However, the potential of carbon (C) sinks for increasing carbon storage and/or sequestration is still uncertain. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the C‐sequestration and mitigation potential of eight different tree plantations, namely: Pinus roxburghii , Quercus leucotrichophora , Acacia mollissima , Acacia catechu , Alnus nitida , Albizia procera , Ulmus villosa , and Eucalyptus tereticornis in the mid‐hills of the Indian Himalayas. The soil samples used in our study (humus, 0–20cm, 20–40cm, and 40–100 cm) were used to determine the soil and ecosystem C‐density. The analysis revealed that the maximum tree biomass (300.19 Mg ha −1 ), vegetation biomass (305.43 Mg ha −1 ), vegetation carbon (153.59 Mg ha −1 ), and total ecosystem C density (369.93 Mg ha −1 ) occurred under U. villosa plantation. Similarly, P. roxburghii plantations had the maximum detritus C‐density (7.25 Mg ha −1 ), whereas A. nitida (224.71 Mg ha −1 ) had the maximum soil C‐density. The highest C‐sequestration was recorded under U. villosa (183.0 Mg ha −1 ). A significantly higher and lower rate of C‐sequestration and CO 2 mitigation was observed in Ulmus villosa (5.9 and 21.64 Mg ha −1 yr −1 ) and Eucalyptus tereticornis (3.9 and 14.3 Mg ha −1 yr −1 ). Our study found that indigenous tree species such as U. villosa , A. procera , A. nitida , and Q. leucotrichophora should be encouraged for afforestation on degraded lands to support climate change mitigation strategies in the sub‐temperate forest ecosystem

Acacia · Acacia auriculiformis · Agroforestry · Agronomy · Biology · Botany · Carbon dioxide · Carbon sequestration · Ecosystem · Eucalyptus · Eucalyptus tereticornis · Geography · Villosa · Environmental Science · Forest ecology and management · Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics · Tree-ring climate responses · Ecology · Forestry

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