ESTIMATION OF SEQUESTERED CARBON OF FARM FORESTRY TREE SPECIES IN DIFFERENT PLANTATIONS OF SUBTROPICAL-SUB TEMPERATE REGION OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2013
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ABSTRACT
The present investigations entitled “Estimation of sequestered carbon of farm forestry tree species in different plantations of subtropical-sub temperate region of Himachal Pradesh” were carried out in different farm plantations raised by Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry in 1987-88 at Dr Y S Parmar university of Horticulture and Forestry during 2012-13. The plantations of Eucalyptus tereticornis, Populus deltoides, Quercus leucotrichophora, Eucalyptus tereticornis plus Pinus roxburghii and Quercus leucotrichophora plus Ulmus villosa were selected for study to access the carbon sequestered by 24-25 year old farm plantations. The observations regarding stem biomass, leaf biomass, branch biomass, above ground biomass, below ground biomass and total tree biomass were recorded by non destructive method of sampling. The carbon content in stem, branch and leaf in different species was determined by loss of ignition method and biomass was converted into biomass carbon density and CO2 mitigation from each plantation was also evaluated. The maximum stem biomass (1657.04 t ha-1), branch biomass (326.19 t ha-1), leaf biomass (77.04 t ha-1), above ground (2060.27 t ha-1), below ground (535.67 t ha-1) and total biomass (2595.94 t ha-1) was accumulated in the pure plantation of Eucalyptus tereticornis followed by Quercus leucotrichophora plus Ulmus villosa, Eucalyptus tereticornis plus Pinus roxburghii, Populus deltoides and Quercus leucotrichophora. Maximum stem carbon (935.56 t ha-1), branch carbon (180.22 t ha-1), leaf carbon (42.06 t ha-1), above ground (1157.84 t ha-1), below ground (301.04 t ha-1), total biomass carbon (1458.88 t ha-1) and total biomass plus soil carbon (1547.21 t ha-1) was accumulated in the pure plantation of Eucalyptus tereticornis. Different physico-chemical properties of soil vary significantly due to different farm plantation species for organic carbon, bulk density, EC and pH in different soil layers. Percent soil organic carbon and total soil carbon density was highest in soils below Eucalyptus tereticornis (1.63% and 88.33 t ha-1) while gain w.r.t. the area adjacent to the plantation was highest in Populus deltoides. Soil pH was slightly acidic under plantations as compared the adjacent area. pH (6.4) and EC (0.30 dSm-1) were highest in mixed plantation of Quercus leucotrichophora plus Ulmus villosa, while bulk density was higher (1.34 g cm-3) in pure plantation of Quercus leucotrichophora and mix plantation of Eucalyptus tereticornis plus Pinus roxburghii. Biomass carbon and total biomass plus soil carbon density of different farm plantations followed the order: Eucalyptus tereticornis > Quercus leucotrichophora + Ulmus villosa > Populus deltoides > Eucalyptus tereticornis + Pinus roxburghii > Quercus leucotrichophora. A similar trend was observed in CO2 mitigation where Eucalyptus tereticornis mitigated maximum CO2 i.e. 5354.09 t ha-1. For estimation of generalized biomass and carbon in different pure and mixed stands of studied farm forestry species, diameter was taken as independent variable and power function was the best fitted function. Based on R2 value compound function was best fitted for total biomass plus soil carbon in pure as well as mixed plantations.