Carbon Stock and Its Variations along Environmental Factors in Gendo Moist Montane Forest, East Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia
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Date
2016-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Global climate change is an environmental problem in today’s modern world because of the change in global weather pattern. The study was conducted to estimate the carbon stock and its variations along environmental factors in Gendo (Gura Tirigni) forest as potential sink for climate change mitigation. Forest plays important role in the global carbon cycle as carbon sinks of the terrestrial ecosystem. Estimations of forest carbon stocks are based on the estimation of forest biomass. Tree species data collection was done by complete listing method. Soil and litter data collection had also been carried out using representative sampling. The result of the present study showed that 4687 trees and shrubby trees had a DBH ≥5 cm. From this study the mean total carbon stock of Gendo forest was 564.96±27.05 ton ha-1. The mean aboveground carbon, belowground carbon, litter carbon and soil organic carbon (0-10cm soil depth) were: 128.60±7.53 ton ha-1, 26.52±1.62 ton ha-1, 3.12±0.25 ton ha-1, and 94.96±4.61 ton ha-1 respectively. Carbon stock variations in different pools along environmental factors (altitude, slope and aspect) were recorded. LC along altitudinal gradient and SOC along altitude, aspect and slope gradients show significant variations.
Keywords: Biomass, Carbon pools, Carbon stocks, Environmental factors, Gendo forest
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Keywords
Biomass, Carbon pools, Carbon stocks, Environmental factors, Gendo forest