Biomass and soil carbon stocks in different forest types, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Attempts to mitigate global climate change have brought forestry into focus. Forests absorb carbondioxide from the atmosphere, alleviate global warming and contribute for rural livelihoods. To realize these benefits, there is a need to conserve the existing forests and establish new forests by using different restoration techniques. Information is scarce in Ethiopia on the carbon stock efficiency of the different forest types. Therefore, this study focused on comparing biomass and soil carbon stock potential of a natural forest, exclosure and Eucalyptus plantation. Primary and secondary data were collected and analysed using allometric equations. The results of this study stated that the total mean carbon stock for exclosure was 131.6 ± 45.5 t ha−1, for plantation 160.1 ± 35.8 t ha−1 and for natural forest 195.3 ± 58.3 t ha−1. The carbon stocks in each pool exhibited distinct patterns between the forest types. The above ground, below ground and soil organic carbon stock, increased in the natural forests and plantation, while the litter carbon stock showed decreasing towards the exclosure. Generally, the total natural forests store high amount of carbon and can play an important role in climate change mitigation. The carbon pool variation between different forest types was significant at (P < .05); however, there was no significance difference between forest types by aboveground and belowground biomass. From the main findings of this study, it is possible to conclude that climate change mitigation measures should consider expanding exclosure with the same priority as conserving natural forest and increasing plantation forests.