Determining Tree Biomass and Soil Carbon Stock Potential of Selected Sites of Munesa Forest, Western Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, South-Eastern Ethiopia

B.B. Teshome¹ , D.U. Gojamme² , S. T. Kabtehyimer³

Section:Research Paper, Product Type: Journal-Paper
Vol.6 , Issue.2 , pp.88-96, Feb-2020

Online published on Feb 28, 2020

Copyright © B.B. Teshome, D.U. Gojamme, S. T. Kabtehyimer . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 

View this paper at   Google Scholar | DPI Digital Library

XML View     PDF Download

How to Cite this Paper

Abstract :
The study was undertaken to estimate carbon stocks in Munesa forest. The aim of the study was to estimate the carbon stock potential of Munesa forest for selected sites and indicating its contribution to climate change mitigation. A total of 63 nested sample plots of 20m x 20m were laid systematically representing 35 plots for natural and 28 plots for plantation forests respectively. Within larger square plots, five (1m x 1m each) sub-plots in the four corners and one at the center were established for Litter, Herbs and Grasses and soil collection. Soils samples were collected from 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm depths. Above ground biomass was estimated by using allometric model equation using non-destructive method. But, belowground biomass was determined based on the ratio of below ground biomass to above ground biomass factors. The results of this study showed that the average carbon stock of the natural forest was 195.34, 50.79, 1.56 and 325.97 t.ha-1 for above ground biomass, below ground biomass, litter, herbs and grasses and soil organic carbon respectively. Similarly, the mean carbon stock recorded in aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, litter, herbs and grasses and soil organic carbon for plantation forest was 111.07, 28.88, 1.38 and 273.11 t.ha-1 respectively. The total carbon stock recorded was 573.66 and 414.44 t.ha-1 for natural and plantation forests respectively. Finally, this study has shown that Munesa forest ecosystem should be given conservation priority to benefit from carbon financing opportunities.

Key-Words / Index Term :
Biomass, Carbon sequestration, Carbon storage, Climate change, Munesa Forest

References :
[1] Abel Girma, Teshome Soromessa and Tesfaye Bekele, “Forest carbon stocks in woody plants of Mount Zequalla Monastery and it`s variation along altitudinal gradient: Implication of managing forests for climate change mitigation”. Sci. Technol. Arts Res. J. 3(2):132-140, 2014.
[2] Broadmeadow, M. and Robert, M., “Forests, Carbon and Climate Change”: The UK Contribution. Forestry Commission Bulletin 125. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh, 2003.
[3] Cai, S., Kang, X. and Zhang, L., “Allometric models for aboveground biomass of ten tree species in northeast China, Ann. For. Res. 56(1): 105-122, 2013.
[4] Cairns, M.A., Olmsted, I., Granados, J. and Argaez, J., “Composition and aboveground tree biomass of a dry semi-evergreen forest on Mexico`s Yucatan Peninsula”, Forest Ecology and Management 186: 125-132, 2003.
[5] Chaffey, D. R., “Southwest Ethiopia forest inventory project”: a reconnaissance inventory of forest in southwest Ethiopia. Ministry of Oversea Development, Land Resources Development Centre, Project Report 31: 1-316, 1979.
[6] Chave, J. C., Andalo, S., Brown, M., Cairns, J., Chambers, D., Eamus, H., Folster, F., Fromard, N., Higuchi, T., Kira, J.P., Lescure, B., Nelson, H., Ogawa, H., Puig, B. and Yamakura, T., “Tree allometry and improved estimation of carbon stocks and balance in tropical forests”, Oecologia 145: 87-99, 2005.
[7] Chave, J., Andalo, C., Brown, S., Cairns, M., Chambers, J., Eamus, D., Folster, H., Fromard, F., Higuchi, N. and Kira, T., “Tree allometry and improve estimation of carbon stocks and balance in tropical forests”, Oecologia 145: 87-99, 2014.
[8] Chave, J., Coomes, D. and Jansen, S., “Towards a worldwide wood economics spectrum”, Ecology Letters, 12: 351–366, 2009.
[9] Chidumayo, E.N. “Changes in miombo woodland structure under different land tenure and use systems in central Zambia”, Journal of Biogeography, 29: 1619–1626, 2002.
[10] EFAP, “Ethiopian Forestry Action Plan MoNRDEP, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia”, volume I.14p. and volume II. pp. 21-34, 1994.
[11] Gorte, R. W. “Carbon Sequestration in Forests, Congressional Research Service”, CRS Report for Congress, (Eggleston, H. S., Buendia, L. and Miwa, K. edn). Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress. Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme. CRS Publishing, USA, Pp. 1-23, 2009
[12] IPCC, “The intergovernmental panel on climate change”, A special report on land-use, land-use change and forestry. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2000.
[13] IPCC, “Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry”, In: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Penman, j., Gytraskym. J., Hiraishi, T., Krug, T., Kruger, D., Pippatti, R., Buendia, L., Miwa, K., Ngara, T., Tanabe, K. and Wagner, F., (eds), IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme, Hayama, Kangawa, Japan, 2003.
[14] IPCC, “IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories”, Volume 4. Prepared by National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Program, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Publishing, Japan, 2006.
[15] IPCC, “Facts on climatic change”, A summary of the 2007 assessment report of IPCC. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2007.
[16] Kebede Seifu “Estimating Land Cover/Land Use Changes in Munessa Forest Area Using Remote Sensing Techniques”, M.Sc. Thesis. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skinnskatteberg, Sweden, 1998.
[17] Kirschbaum, M.U.F. “The carbon sequestration potential of tree plantations in Australia”, In: Environmental Management, Eldridge, K.G., Crowe, M.P and Old, K.M. (eds.), The Role of Eucalypts and Other Fast Growing Species, Forestry and Forest Products, 20:77-89, 1996
[18] Lundgren, B. “Soil studies in a montane forest in Ethiopia. Research Notes Nr11. Department of Forest ecology and Forest Soils, Royal College of Forestry, Stockholm, 1971.
[19] Pearson, T., Walker, S. and Brown, S. (2005). Source book for land-use, land-use change and forestry projects. Winrock International and the Bio-carbon fund of the World Bank.Arlington, USA.
[20] Subedi, B. P., Pandey, S.S., Pandey, A., Rana, E.B., Bhattarai, S., Banskota, T.R., Charmakar, S. and Tamrakar, R. “Guidelines for measuring carbon stocks in community managed forests”, ANSAB, ICIMOD, FECOFUN, NORAD. 79 pp, 2010.
[21] Tesfaye Bekele, “Plant Population Dynamics of Dodonea angustifolia and Olea europea subsp. Cuspidate in dry Afromontane Forest of Ethiopia”. Acta Universtitatis upsaliens Upssala, Sweden, 2002.
[22] Teshome Soromessa, “Ecological Phytogeography: A Case Study of Commiphora Species: Science, Technology and Arts Research Journal 2(3): 93-104, 2013.
[23] Teshome Soromessa, Demel Teketay and Sebsebe Demissew. “Ecological study of the vegetation in Gamo Gofa zone, Southern Ethiopia”, Tropical Ecology 45(2): 209-221, 2004
[24] Teshome Soromessa, Ensermu Kelbessa, Afework Bekele, Getinet Masresha, Desalegn Ejigu, Melese Yihune and Fisseha Itanna, “Current Status and Significance of Faunal and Floral Diversity of the Simien Mountains, Northern Ethiopia”. A poster presented on December 30-31, 2011 during the conference on Thematic Research, 2011.
[25] Watson, R.T., Noble, I.R., Bolin, B., Ravindranath, N.H., Verardo, D.J. and Dokken, D.J. “Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Special report. Cambridge University Press, UK. 375pp, 2000.