CARBON STOCK EVOLUTION ESTIMATES FROM LANDSAT IMAGE SERIES OF DIFFERENT FORMATIONS IN THE COASTAL EQUATORIAL ENVIRONMENT, CASE OF FREEVILLE, GABON

Abstract

The role of forests in carbon storage in a climate change context is relevance. In this paper, we will assess the carbon stock in the Libreville area using remote sensing data over a 2001-2018 period. This assessment of carbon stocks in forests is mainly based on Landsat optical imagery. A first analysis aimed at producing a land use mapping between 2001 and 2018 was carried out. These preliminary results were then used as a proxy for the assessment of carbon stocks using terrestrial and mangrove forests. The average value of carbon stock contained in each class comes from the bibliographical work carried out mainly in the same study area. The total value of the carbon stock was estimated at 70 913 018 ± 896 and 68 340 383 ± 927 tons in 2001 and 2018 respectively.