Carbon Stock of Banja Forest in Banja District, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: An Implication for Climate Change Mitigation
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Date
2016-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Forests play enormous role in combating climate change, the most pressing global issue
currently, by sequestering and storing carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.
This study was conducted to estimate of carbon stock in dry Afromontane forest type of Banja
Forest with elevation that ranges between 1870 and 2570 m a. s. l. in Amhara Region,
Ethiopia. The study was aimed to explore the potential of climate change mitigation from
carbon stock of Banja Forest. A systematic sampling method was used to identify each
sampling point through Global Positioning System (GPS). Loss on ignition and Walkley
Black method were used to estimate biomass and soil carbon stock, respectively. Results
revealed that the total carbon stock of the forest was 639.87 t/ha whereas trees store
406.47t/ha, litter, herbs and grasses (LHGs) 2.58 t/ha and soil 230.82 t/ha (up to 30cm
depth). The carbon pools’ carbon stock variation with altitude, slope and aspect gradients
were not significant at (p>0.05). The forest in the study area is a reservoir of high carbon, as
it has a good capacity to sink carbon from the atmosphere. To enhance the carbon stock of
Banja Forest, it should be integrated with Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), carbon
trading system of the Kyoto Protocol.
Keywords: Banja Forest; Carbon sequestration; Climate change; carbon stock; Mitigation
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Keywords
Banja Forest; Carbon sequestration; Climate change; carbon stock; Mitigation