The impact of land covers on carbon stock potential Rantau Research Forest in South Kalimantan

Abstract

Changes in land cover determine the decrease or increase in carbon storage in a landscape. This study aimed to determine the amount of carbon storage in each type of land cover and determine the effect of land cover type on the carbon storage amount in each carbon pool. This research was conducted in Rantau research forest with three main land coverage, they were: plantation forest, secondary forest, and grassland. The survey was carried out by measuring five carbon pools, namely vegetation, litter, understorey, necromass, and soil carbon, carried out on the land cover types of grassland, plantation forests, and secondary forest. The effect of land coverage to carbon storage was determined by using analysis of variance. The results showed that carbon storage was mostly deposited in vegetation carbon and soil carbon. The secondary forest has the largest carbon storage, namely 135.1 Mg/Ha, followed by plantation forest at 107.4 Mg/Ha, and Grassland at 83.3 Mg/ha. Changes in land cover from secondary forest to cogon grass caused the largest carbon storage reduction by 34%. This change decreased in the cover of the plantation forest to grassland by 20.5%. The implication is that an increase in carbon storage can be achieved by planting in grassland so that the cover becomes secondary forest or plants.