Carbon sequestration potential in above ground Biomass

Published on Nov 30, 2023

Abstract

Increasingly convincing evidences show that the Earth is getting warmer and in the future warming could have serious effects on affect human [13]. Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary and best studied greenhouse gas, has increased by about 30 % from the start of the industrial revolution to 1992 due to fossil fuel combustion and change in land use [14].

The ultimate objective of The United Nations Framework, in which Thailand is a member, is to stabilize the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at the level that will not cause dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The emission reduction of greenhouse gases from a member of industrialized countries called for in Kyoto Protocol. Thailand has ratified Kyoto Protocol since August 28, 2002; therefore, the country will voluntarily participate in CO2 reduction. There are two alternatives to reduce CO2: decreasing carbon source and increasing carbon sink

This study is focusing on carbon sequestration, specifically in terms of aboveground biomass and carbon stock. The estimates of carbon stock are also important for scientific and management issues such as forest productivity, nutrient cycling, and inventories of fuel wood and pulp. In addition, aboveground biomass is a key variable in the annual and long term changes in the global terrestrial carbon cycle and other earth system interactions. It is also important in the modelling of carbon uptake and redistribution within ecosystems. Of most interest is live wood biomass, which is involved in the regulation of atmospheric carbon concentrations. Thus, its dynamics must be understood if annual spatial variations are to be related to spatial weather and climate variables. Other computations, which require an accurate estimate of biomass along with carbon emission and carbon sequestration rates, are defining the carbon status and flux in a given geopolitical unit for the assessment, for example carbon taxes and similar international CO2 mitigation measures.

Materials and Methods

The study was located at Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand which can be classified into three forest types as tropical rain forest, dry evergreen forest and mixed deciduous forest. Three sampling sites were selected, one from each of three forest types. The geographical characteristics of the sampling sites were recorded in (Table 1.) Aboveground biomass assessment was carried out in three natural forests from November 2002 to April 2003. Average annual rainfall is 1,650 mm, which rainy season normally started from April to October [18]. Average annual temperature is 25o C that distributed the range of 9.3o C to 42.2o C in the natural forest. In the study area, the species area curves of all three forests were available at different densities and a square mesh of one plot. Each plot in tropical rain forest, dry evergreen forest and mixed deciduous forest had a square plot with 80 x 80, 80 x 80, and 50 x 50 m2, respectively. The replications of plot in tropical rain forest at Ton Mai Yak were 3 plots, dry evergreen forest at KP 27 were 4 plots, and mixed deciduous forest at Phong Phu Ron station were 5 plots.

Results and Discussion

Aboveground biomass was estimated at the different forest types in order to indicate the proportion of biomass. It was found that DBH and height of trees were distributed among different size classes. The size class characteristics of three different forests a compared in Figure 2, and showing the relationship between DBH and tree density in each size class. This would tend to make the biomass differences even greater. The frequency distribution curves of DBH were all L- shaped, the frequency patterns were more or less exponentially decreasing toward larger diameter classes with a maximum at the left end or smallest DBH size classes.