Appraisal of fixed CO2 in varying tree formations of tropical forest

Tropical forests have been experienced lot of anthropogenic effects and which enforce natural forest degradation and transformation of their formation. This attempt was to evaluate the different tree formations’ capability to fix the atmospheric CO2 to biomass of tropical forest by estimating their biomass carbon. Tree formations were identified from IRS LISS 4 satellite images and biomass carbon and its equivalent CO2 of varying formations were estimated from field samples. Tree vegetations such as thick evergreen, evergreen, thick semi-evergreen, semievergreen, moist deciduous and degraded were identified. These formations were again categorized in elevation wise as high elevations, medium elevations and low elevations. Amount of CO2 fixed in unit area of all tree formations was ranged between 540.23 t ha-1 of low elevation degraded and 1595.57 t ha-1 of high elevation thick evergreen. In evergreen and thick semi-evergreen, CO2 fixed rate of medium elevation was less than low elevation formations whereas in remaining formations such as thick evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, and degraded the CO2 fixed rate in medium elevation was higher than low elevation.

Author(s): Chrips N. R*, Christudas Williams B and Vinod P. G

Abstract | PDF

Share This Article