Biomass and carbon stock potential of Fraxinus floribunda Wall. (Ash tree) plantation for mitigating climate change in Kashmir Valley

Abstract

Trees are recognized as important components of carbon cycle have gained importance owing to their potential to sequester carbon. Reviving tree cover and finding low cost methods to sequester carbon is emerging as a major international policy goal. The objective of the study was to estimate growth, biomass production, carbon stock and carbon dioxide mitigation potential of 19-year old Fraxinus floribunda Wall. plantation under different diameter classes. The DBH of trees varied from 7.74 to 23.50 cm, height from 4.16 to 10.40 m, basal area between 0.004 to 0.043 m2 and volume between 0.007 to 0.135 m3 between 2009 and 2010.The average dry stem biomass of the trees at the site varied between 4.91 to 90.45 kg, branch dry biomass (1.63 to 29.44 kg), leaf dry biomass (0.39 to7.14 kg), total above ground dry biomass (6.93 to127.03 kg), root dry biomass from 1.73 to 31.77 kg and total biomass (above + below ground) from 8.66 to 158.80 kg. The stem carbon varied from 12.12 to 39.05 kg, branch carbon (0.69 to 12.48 kg), leaf carbon (0.14 to 2.62 kg), root carbon (0.74 to 13.66 kg) and total carbon from 3.69 to 67.81 kg. The stem carbon dioxide mitigation potential varied from 7.75 to 142.92 kg, branch (2.52 to 45.67 kg), leaf (0.51 to 9.58 kg), root (2.70 to 49.99 kg) and total carbon dioxide mitigation from 13.48 to 248.16 kg between 2009 and 2010. Thus it can be concluded that among all the tree components, stem was found to be the main contributor towards the production of biomass, carbon stock and carbon dioxide mitigation potential followed by root, branch and leaves under all the diameter classes.