The inventory of the carbon stocks in sub tropical forests of Pakistan for reporting under Kyoto Protocol

Abstract

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires reporting net carbon stock changes and anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, including those related to forests. This paper describes the status of carbon stocks in sub tropical forests of Pakistan. There are two major sub types in subtropical forests of Pakistan viz a viz Subtropical Chir Pine and Subtropical broadleaved forests. A network of sample plots was laid out in four selected site. Two sites were selected from sub tropical Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests and two from Subtropical broadleaved forests. Measurement and data acquisition protocols were developed specifically for the inventory carried out from 2005 to 2010. In total 261 plots (each of 1ha.) were established. Estimation of diameter, basal area, height, volume and biomass was carried out to estimate carbon stocks in each of the four carbon pools of above- and below-ground live biomass. Soil carbon stocks were also determined by doing soil sampling. In mature (∼100 years old) pine forest stand at Ghoragali and Lehterar sites, a mean basal area of 30.38 and 26.11 m2·ha−1 represented mean volume of 243 and 197 m3·ha−1, respectively. The average biomass (t·ha−1) was 237 in Ghoragali site and 186 t·ha−1in Lehterar site, which is equal to 128 and 100 t C ha−1 including soil C. However, on average basis both the forests have 114.5± 2.26 t·ha−1 of carbon stock which comprises of 92% in tree biomass and only 8% in the top soils. In mixed broadleaved evergreen forests a mean basal area (m2·ha−1) was 3.06 at Kherimurat with stem volume of 12.86 and 2.65 at Sohawa with stem volume of 11.40 m3·ha−1. The average upper and under storey biomass (t·ha−1) was 50.93 in Kherimurat site and 40.43 t·ha−1in Sohawa site, which is equal to 31.18 and 24.36 t C ha−1 including soil C stocks. This study provides a protocol and valuable baseline data for monitoring biomass and carbon stocks in Pakistan’s managed and unmanaged sub-tropical forests.