Carbon storage of 15-year-old Xylia xylocarpa and Pterocarpus macrocarpus plantations in the Katha District of Myanmar

Abstract

This research was conducted in the Katha District of Myanmar to compare the biomass (carbon) allocation of Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) W. Theob. and Pterocarpus macrocarpus Kurz species and to investigate the carbon content of the undergrowth vegetation, litter layer, and soil at these two plantations. A total of 40 trees from both species were selected to estimate the biomass allocation in each component of a tree. The estimated biomass (carbon) allocation for X. xylocarpa was 7.8% in the leaves, 22.2% in the branches, 52.2% in the stems and 17.8% in the roots while the estimated biomass (carbon) allocation for P. macrocarpus was 2.8% in the leaves, 24.4% in the branches, 61.3% in the stems and 11.5% in the roots. The study discovered that the biomass of the trees at the X. xylocarpa plantation (80.4 tons ha-1) was higher than that at the P. macrocarpus plantation (77.2 tons ha-1). The total carbon content at the P. macrocarpus plantation (130.8 tons ha-1) was significantly higher than that at the X. xylocarpa plantation (120.5 tons ha-1). Likewise, the mean annual increment (MAI) of the carbon content in the X. xylocarpa plantation was estimated at about 2.7 tons ha-1 while the P. macrocarpus plantation accounted for 2.5 tons ha-1. This study suggests that it is very important in the management of plantations to focus not only on the planted trees but also on the undergrowth vegetation, litter layer and soil layer, which play a significant role in the stand-level carbon content. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.