The Assessment of Carbon Stocks in the Oak Scrub Forest of Sheringal Valley Dir Kohistan

Abstract

The present study estimates carbon stocks (C-stocks) of the Oak scrub forest of Sheringal valley through field inventory. Stem density (ha−1), tree height (m), basal area (m2∙ha−1), stem volume (m2∙ha−1), stem biomass (t∙ha−1), total biomass (t∙ha−1), and total C-stock (t∙ha−1), were calculated. Stem density varied between 80±8.16 to 510 ± 42 trees ha−1, with a mean value of 226 ± 7 tress ha−1. The average tree height, basal area and stem volume were 5.47 ± 0.76 m, 12.82 ± 0.25 m2∙ha−1 and 46.37 ± 0.85 m3∙ha−1 respectively. The total calculated stem biomass was 32.46 ± 0.60 t∙ha−1 and total tree biomass was 51.61 ± 0.60 t∙ha−1. The calculated C-stocks in the Oak scrub forest ranged from 2.005 ± 1.32 t∙ha−1 to 63.1 ± 3.34 t∙ha−1 and the mean C stocks was 25.80 ± 0.47 t∙ha−1. The results of the study confirmed that the Oak scrub forest acts as a valuable sink of carbon, but this valuable storage factory of carbon faced the problems of excess uses for fuel wood, forage, domestic uses (mostly for construction) and unscientific management. Proper scientific management and proper utilization of the forest can be significant measures to enhance the potential of the forest to stored and sink more carbon and can be included for CDM and REED++ under Keyto protocol.