Sains Malaysiana 52(3)(2023): 723-740

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5203-04

Carbon Sequestration, Biomass and Soil Carbon Pool Estimation in Oak-Dominated Forests of Hindu-Kush Range Mountains of Pakistan

(Penyerapan Karbon, Biojisim dan Anggaran Takungan Karbon Tanah di Hutan Didominasi Oak di Banjaran Hindu-Kush di Pakistan)

ATAUR RAHMAN¹, NASRULLAH KHAN², INAYAT UR RAHMAN³, KISHWAR ALI⁴ & ACHIM BRAUNING⁵

¹Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Botany, University of Malakand, Pakistan-18800

²Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Botany, University of Malakand, Pakistan-18800

³Department of Botany, Government Degree College Madyan Swat. 19020

⁴School of General Education College of North Atlantic Qatar. P.O Box 24449

⁵Institute of Geography, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany

Received: 15 June 2021/Accepted: 20 February 2023



Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the vegetation biomass, soil carbon stocks and carbon sequestration potential of Oak-dominated forests. Thirty forest stands having 10 quadrats of 20×20 were randomly sampled. Out of eighteen tree species, twelve species were associated with Group II followed by Groups I and III, with eight species each. Quercus dilatata was the only Oak species recorded in all three groups having maximum density in Group II (56.14). Quercus semecarpifolia accounted the highest proportion of carbon (235 MgC/ha) in Group II. Quercus baloot, being the dominant species of Group I, is found to accommodate the highest quantities of BMC (335±43 Mg/ha) for all size classes. The highest nitrogen content, total nitrogen and carbon-nitrogen ratio were 0.185%, 8.23 and 59.64, respectively, in Group II. The mean bulk density was 1.519 g/cm³ in group III. The highest soil organic carbon (SOC) was recorded in Group II (2.69%, 119.82 tons/ha). Because of their large aerial scale and high carbon density, Oak-dominated forests in Group II store most of the carbon. These results suggest that organic carbon is a major source of forest carbon with significant climate change mitigation potential that must be conserved and improved by sustainable forest management.

Keywords: Bulk density; carbon sequestration; forest carbon; mitigation potential; vegetation biomass

Abstrak

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan biojisim tumbuh-tumbuhan, stok karbon tanah dan potensi penyerapan karbon hutan yang didominasi Oak. Tiga puluh dirian hutan yang mempunyai 10 kuadrat 20×20 telah diambil secara rawak. Dalam lapan belas spesies pokok, dua belas spesies dikaitkan dengan Kumpulan II diikuti oleh Kumpulan I dan III, dengan lapan spesies setiap satu. Quercus dilatata adalah satu-satunya spesies Oak yang direkodkan dalam ketiga-tiga kumpulan yang mempunyai ketumpatan maksimum dalam Kumpulan II (56.14). Quercus semecarpifolia menyumbang bahagian tertinggi karbon (235 MgC/ha) dalam Kumpulan II. Quercus baloot, sebagai spesies dominan Kumpulan I, didapati dapat menampung kuantiti tertinggi BMC (335±43 Mg/ha) untuk semua kelas saiz. Kandungan nitrogen tertinggi, jumlah nitrogen dan nisbah karbon-nitrogen adalah 0.185%, 8.23 dan 59.64, masing-masing dalam Kumpulan II. Purata ketumpatan pukal ialah 1.519 g/cm³ dalam Kumpulan III. Karbon organik tanah (SOC) tertinggi dicatatkan dalam Kumpulan II (2.69%, 119.82 tan/ha). Oleh kerana skala udaranya yang besar dan ketumpatan karbon yang tinggi, hutan yang didominasi oleh Oak dalam Kumpulan II menyimpan kebanyakan daripada karbon. Keputusan ini menunjukkan bahawa karbon organik adalah sumber utama karbon hutan dengan potensi pengurangan perubahan iklim yang ketara yang mesti dipelihara dan diperbaiki oleh pengurusan hutan yang mampan.

Kata kunci: Biojisim tumbuhan; karbon hutan; ketumpatan pukal; penyerapan karbon; potensi mitigasi

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^*Corresponding author; email: nasrullah.uom@gmail.com