Variation in carbon storage among tree species in the planted forest of Kathmandu, Central Nepal

Abstract

Carbon stock variation among trees of planted forest, was estimated in a 41-year old Coronation garden of Kathmandu, Central Nepal. Forty-one square quadrates of 20 m × 20 m were selected by applying stratified systematic sampling method in three horizontal strata of the forest. The biomass of trees was estimated using an allometric equation which was later converted to the carbon stock by using carbon fraction. The study site stored 196.4 Mg C ha-1 (carbon sequestration rate: 4.78 Mg ha-1 yr-1) equivalent to 720.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 (CO2 assimilation rate: 17.58 Mg ha-1 yr-1). Eucalyptus citriodora had the highest carbon storage (54.6 Mg ha-1, 27.8%) and sequestration rate (1.33 Mg ha-1 yr-1). Cinnamomum camphora and Salix babylonica were the dominant tree species, while Salicaceae and Lauraceae were the dominant families growing in the forest. Myrtaceae was the dominant family in terms of carbon storage and carbon sequestration rate. The study suggests that E. citriodora, C. camphora, S. babylonica and P. roxburghii would be the best species to select for forest plantation which would yield large impacts on landscape-level carbon stocks and could also mitigate climate change.