Above-ground Carbon Stocks of Tectona grandis and Gmelina arborea Plantations in Njala University, Southern Sierra Leone

Abstract

The unprecedented increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration has attracted global research attention on the potential role of tree plantations in climate change mitigation. There is an urgent need to estimate the above-ground biomass (AGB) and carbon stock in forest plantations. This is particularly essential for Sierra Leone, where above-ground biomass (AGB) and carbon stock data are presently lacking. This study estimated the above-ground biomass accumulation and carbon stock of Tectona grandis Linn.f. and Gmelina arborea Roxb. in the spacing and plantation trials at Njala University, Southern Sierra Leone. The assessment was based on a total inventory of trees having a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm and tree height. Above-ground biomass (AGB) was estimated using the allometric equation by Chave et al. (2005), and above-ground carbon (AGC) stock was calculated by multiplying the biomass with a conversion factor of 0.5. The result showed that the mean above-ground carbon stock for Gmelina arborea was higher in the plantation trial (25.2 t ha-1) than in the spacing trial (7.5 t ha-1). For Tectona grandis, the mean above-ground carbon stock was similarly higher in the plantation trial (6.6 t ha-1) than in the spacing trial (1.5 t ha-1). The results further suggest that the variation in the means of above-ground carbon stock is not dependent on the tree species type and experimental site because there were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the tree species and experimental sites.