CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL OF APPLE ORCHARDS IN WET TEMPERATE ZONE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2023-10-23
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UHF Nauni
Abstract
The present study entitled “Carbon sequestration potential of apple orchards in wet
temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh” was undertaken during the year 2022-2023 in the
Department of Environmental Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni,
Solan, Himachal Pradesh India with the objectives to determine carbon sequestration potential of
apple orchards and for the preparation of allometric equations for biomass and carbon based on height
and diameter of trees. Six apple orchards belonging to three different age groups i.e, less than 15
years, 15 to 30 years and more than 30 years were selected on two different aspects i.e, northern and
southern aspects from Jubbal block of Shimla district. CO2 sequestration potential was determined
using biomass of trees which was calculated by following semi- destructive analysis method.
Allometric equations were prepared by taking height, diameter and biomass of 60 representative trees
from each selected orchard. The results revealed that the maximum biomass and carbon was in
Northern aspect in more than 30 years age group i.e, 68.36 t ha-1 and 32.83 t ha-1 respectively.The
biomass and carbon stored in stem, branches, leaves and roots was found increasing with age and was
more in northern aspect than in southern aspect. CO2 sequestration potential was observed more for
orchards in northern aspect with mean value of 152.60 t ha-1 and less in southern aspect having mean
value of 127.36 t ha-1. The potential to sequester CO2 increased with increasing age with mean values
ranging from 83.13 t ha-1 to 185.85 t ha-1. In allometric equations prepared for estimation of biomass
and carbon the exponential model was best fitted based on height of tree; whereas the power model
was best fitted for biomass and carbon based on diameter at bole height of trees. The exponential
model had maximum R2 =0.95 for biomass estimation when equations were prepared based on height
and power model was best fitted for carbon estimation with maximum R2=0.95 when prepared on the
basis of diameter at bole height. The allometric equations prepared are particularly applicable to the
wet temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh and will play an important role in estimating the biomass
and carbon stocks of apple orchards.
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CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL OF APPLE ORCHARDS IN WET TEMPERATE ZONE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH