Abstract
Tropical landscapes are generally known to store much carbon in its varied ecosystems, but information required to prioritize and conserve areas with much soil carbon concentration is scanty. This study provides insight on the patterns of carbon storage and its dynamics in an extensive humid zone in SE Nigeria. Soil carbon data was downloaded from soil grids of 250 m carbon stocks for the first 30 cm of the soil profile and compared with the land use/cover, geology and digital elevation model of the region. Carbon estimates varied over the four epochs used and ranged from 29-177, 29-172, 12-172 and 4-177 tons/ha in 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2018, respectively. Even though land cover variation was quite distinct in the zone (between the northern zone with much cover and the southern zone with less), it was not seen as the major factor that influenced soil carbon in the zone. Much of the explanations on carbon concentration and variability were mainly from the geology of the zone which is categorized into six major classes. But three out of the categories were seen to dominate the carbon store: Ajali formation, Mamu formation and Nsukka formation. This exogenous factor (geology), which is not uniform, was seen as the major variable to consider in deciding areas that will be prioritized for carbon conservation in the zone. Proper land use strategies and policy frameworks that would help to maintain proper baselines and further enhance adequate carbon conservation were equally recommended. Key words: Carbon management, conservation, land use change, modified ecosystems, prioritization, tropical.
Highlights
Preserving ecosystems across the globe especially in the current Anthropocene era are rife with environmental challenges and are imminent concern
Across the tropics, protected areas were established to promote ecosystem conservation (IUCN, 1994; Ezebilo, 2013) and in many parts of the tropical landscape such as in Nigeria, this has focused on the preservation of the biodiversity of the ecosystem, with little or no attention on soil conservation
Soil carbon was found to vary in the area under study: 29177, 29-172, 12-172 and 4-177 tons/ha in 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2018, respectively (Figures 2 to 5)
Summary
Preserving ecosystems across the globe especially in the current Anthropocene era are rife with environmental challenges and are imminent concern This need is increasingly urgent as much of the world’s landscapes have progressively been altered in various ways by human activities, with consequences such as habitat destruction, species extinction and modified biological communities (Pardo et al, 2018). Across the tropics, protected areas were established to promote ecosystem conservation (IUCN, 1994; Ezebilo, 2013) and in many parts of the tropical landscape such as in Nigeria, this has focused on the preservation of the biodiversity of the ecosystem, with little or no attention on soil conservation Omitting such a vital segment in carbon sequestration initiatives is not ideal and should be redressed. Such initiative should help in achieving targeted carbon storage for the zone and the bulk of tropical landscapes where pressures and degradation that emanates from human encroachment and modifications are continually becoming a challenge
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