Carbon Sequestration in Coffee Agroforestry of Barbere District, Bale Zone, Southeastern Ethiopia: Implications for Climate Change Mitigation

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the most challenges facing the global community today. Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have increased the level of greenhouse gases, major contributors to global warming in the atmosphere. In spite of this hard fact; there was a growing need to develop strategies that will reduce current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. One such mechanism is the sequestration of carbon by the agroforestry system. The objective of this study was to determine the above and below ground carbon sequestration potential of coffee agroforestry and indicating their contributions to climate change mitigation. The coffee agroforestry of the study area was divided into three-shade types: monoculture shade cover, intermediate shade covers and densely shaded grown comprises a total area of 261ha, of which 16 samples from the three-shade categories were chosen using lottery method. A total of 48 quadrant plots were laid to sample the coffee agroforestry system. Plot of size 400 m2 was used to measure the shade trees and coffee shrubs. Shade trees with >2.5 cm diameter at breast height were recorded, Coffee shrubs were measured in each 20m X 20m quadrant plot with stem diameter at 15 cm from the ground. Regression equations for estimation of AGB and BGB were established. Results indicate the coffee agroforestry production system that stores the most amount of carbon per hectare in its AGC and BGC was densely Shade (65.69+ 6.27Mg C ha-1), employing a variety of shade-tree species in three distinct layers. Conversely, the shaded monoculture with low structural complexity in its shade layer stores the least carbon (28.85+ 3.93 Mg C ha-1). The carbon-stock of the intermediate shade cover examined falls within this range. The study shows that the coffee agroforestry of Barbere district in southeastern Ethiopia plays a great role in the mitigation of climate change phenomenon by its good potential of carbon sequestration. This study recommends that the shade layer in coffee agroforestry be made denser for increased carbon storage and maintenance of biodiversity. Key Terms: - Agroforestry, Biomass, Barbere, Carbon stock, Mitigation DOI: 10.7176/CER/11-9-01 Publication date:October 31st 2019