Maximizing Climate Solutions: Assessing Forest Plantation Productivity and Carbon Sequestration Potential of Tree Species

Abstract

Climate change is projected to negatively impact forest ecosystems and related industries, emphasizing the urgency of effective mitigation strategies. Forests play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2). Planting trees can contribute significantly, absorbing tonnes of CO2 annually and limiting climate change impacts. This process underscores the vital contribution of forests to mitigating climate change. The aim is to evaluate the role of forest plantation productivity in mitigating climate change and assess the carbon dioxide sequestration potential of some tree species. The carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration potential of the tree plantations was highest in the moist semi-deciduous north-west (MSDNW) zone followed in a decreasing order by the dry semi-deciduous (DSD) and forest-savannah transition (FST) zones with the values being 23.02 ± 21.84 (SD), 11.16 ± 6.00 and 9.25 ± 5.25 Mg CO2eq ha-1 year-1, respectively. For the various tree species plantations, the CO2 sequestration potential exhibited by Cedrela odorata, mixed species and Tectona grandis stands was given as 36.93 ± 31.21 (SD), 19.06 ± 11.99 and 8.98 ± 4.67 Mg CO2eq ha-1 year-1, respectively. The comprehensive findings underscore the need for nuanced strategies in climate change policies and afforestation initiatives. Sustainable forest management, tailored afforestation practices are recommended to optimize forest plantation contributions to global climate goals.