Tree Carbon Stock in Different Forest Types along the Humla Karnali River Valley, Nepal

Abstract

Global climate is changing due to different anthropogenic as well as natural variability.Increasing carbon emission is one of the major concerns because it is the main causal factor for global warming. For the mitigation of this excess carbon, forest vegetation and soil play the important role. They sequester the atmospheric carbon in the form of biomass and soil organic carbons.The forests of Nepal are thus the good sequester of carbon and the forests of upper Humla also play the significant role for its sequestration. The study was conducted in Humla district, North-Western Nepal.Seven types of forests were identified on the basis of altitude, slope and aspect along the Humla Karnali River with in 2450-4250 m. In each forest type ten plots each measuring 10x10m were randomly marked for sampling tree species. In each of the 10 plots, woody plant≥10 cmin diameter at breast height (1.37 m above the ground level) were identified, counted and measured for diameter at breast height (dbh) and height.By using allometric equations and root shoot ration, the biomass of tree of each quadrat was estimated. Soil samples were collected from the sampling plots 20 cm below the ground surface for estimating the soil organic content. Latitude, longitude, altitude, aspect, slope,soil pH, soil moisture,rock cover and canopy cover were recorded for each plot. Mean above ground biomass, total biomass and biomass carbon stock of study area were found to be409.97 t/ha, 516.56 t/ha and 258.28 t/ha respectively.Biomass carbon stock in seven forests types were found significantly different.Mean biomass carbon stock in Birch forest, Abies spectabilis forest, Birch-Abies forest, Pinus wallichina forest, Mixed Coniferous forest, Mixed Broad Leaved forest and Oak-Pine forest were found 70.09,335.15, 308.12, 314.15, 185.19, 316.36 and 278.91respectively.