Measurement of diurnal carbon sequestration rate and aboveground biomass carbon potential of two young species and soil respiration in two natural forests in India

Abstract

Diurnal carbon sequestration rate (CSR) has been measured for young-species (6 years age) of Shorea robusta at Chadra forest in Paschim Medinipur district and Tectona grandis at Chilapata forest in Coochbehar district of West Bengal in India by Automated Vaisala Made Instrument GMP343 and aboveground biomass carbon has been analyzed by CHN analyzer. Soil respiration has also been measured by GMP343. The specific objectives of this article are to measure diurnal carbon-sequestration rate and aboveground biomass carbon potential of two young species, and soil respiration in two natural forests. Measurements of soil respiration as conducted in two forests were 0.0050 g/m2/h in Chadra forest and 0.0575 g/m2/h in Chilapata forest. The diurnal carbon sequestration rates (mean) as CO2 from the ambient air as obtained by S. robusta and T. grandis were 11.13 and 2.57 g/h in overcast skies. The annual carbon sequestration rates from ambient air were estimated to 8.97 t C/ha by S. robusta and 2.07 t C/ha by T. grandis. The percentages of carbon content (except root) in the aboveground biomass of S. robusta and T. grandis were 47.45 and 45.45, respectively. The total aboveground biomass carbon stocks per hectare as estimated for S. robusta and T. grandis were 5.22 and 7.97 t C/ha, respectively, in these forest stands. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.