Carbon Farming with Bamboos in India: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Carbon farming provides a great opportunity towards net-zero carbon emissions through enhanced land management and conservation practices. Most studies on carbon farming and carbon trading potential mainly focused on agroforestry/tree species/forest ecosystems; whereas, works on woody bamboo species are limited. Bamboos being highly productive, have gained popularity amongst the scientific community for their diverse roles such as carbon stocking, ecosystem carbon budget, and other ecosystem services. Of the 136 bamboo species found in India, 125 are indigenous, and 11 are exotic. Studies from India show carbon sequestration rate ranges between 1 – 2.3 Mg ha -1 yr -1 in aboveground biomass and between 0.14 – 0.39 Mg ha -1 yr -1 in soil. The numerous benefits of bamboo, including its great significance in rural livelihoods for various traditional purposes and its wide geographical adaptability, suggest using bamboos to increase carbon stocks. The present synthesis highlights the tremendous opportunities offered by bamboos for carbon farming and carbon trading in India.