Forest Carbon stock in Conservation Area, Central Nepal Pinus wallichiana forests of Manaslu Conservation Area
Abstract
Carbon stock and carbon sequestration are major approaches for the climate change adaptation and minimization. But the carbon stored in any community differs with the different spatial factors. Aspect and altitude are two of those factors influencing the carbon balance and management. In Nepal, carbon stock estimation has been generally practiced either in national parks or in
community forests. But, the carbon storage in remote protected area have also been playing significant role in carbon management. This study was conducted in the forests of opposite aspect (N and S) of Prok village of Manaslu Conservation Area (MCA) of Nepal. The main objective of the study was to estimate the carbon stock density of different forests in Prok with the variation in aspect and altitude. Transect method was used for the sampling and calculation was done using MS Excel and R- software. Both the tree biomass and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) were varied with the change in aspect and altitude. Pinus wallichiana was the dominant species in both aspects of the study site. In the forest in northern aspect (FNA) and southern aspect (FSA) carbon in tree biomass was estimated at 74.6 tC/ha and 15.02tC/ha, respectively. Similarly, the average SOC density above 10 cm in FNA and FSA was37.1 tC/ha and 42.6tC/ha, respectively. The seedlings of Pinus wallichiana were found more than other species showing the current pattern of the forest structure and composition continue in the future.
Published Year:
2014
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