Biomass and carbon stocks of a tropical dry forest of the Javadi Hills, Eastern Ghats, India

Abstract

ABSTRACTCarbon stocks of woody vegetation were assessed in a tropical dry forest of the Javadi Hills at three elevations (high-elevation forest, HEF; mid-elevation forest, MEF; and low-elevation forest, LEF) by laying 15 square plots of 0.25 ha each. All of the adult trees (≥ 30 cm girth at breast height (GBH)), juvenile trees (≥ 10 to < 30 cm GBH) and lianas (≥ 3 cm girth at 1.37 m from the rooting point) were enumerated and woody biomass was assessed by the non-harvest method. The total tree (juvenile + adult tree) aboveground biomass ranged from 99 to 216 Mg/ha. The liana aboveground biomass ranged from 3.6 to 9.3 Mg/ha. The woody vegetation in the present study sites stocked 53 to 116 Mg/ha of carbon. Adult trees accounted for a maximum share of 94% of woody carbon while lianas and juvenile trees contributed to just 6%. The carbon stock of adult trees and lianas increased with increasing altitude whereas juveniles showed a reverse trend, which could be due to anthropogenic pressures. Human disturbance and cattle grazing should be minimized in the studied tropical dry forest ecosystem to conserve its vanishing natural resources and also to enhance carbon accumulation for the future.