Exploring Tree Growth Variables Influencing Carbon Sequestration in the Face of Climate Change
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 32771
Exploring Tree Growth Variables Influencing Carbon Sequestration in the Face of Climate Change

Authors: F. S. Eguakun, P. O. Adesoye

Abstract:

One of the major problems being faced by human society is that the global temperature is believed to be rising due to human activity that releases carbon IV Oxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Carbon IV Oxide is the most important greenhouse gas influencing global warming and possible climate change. With climate change becoming alarming, reducing CO2 in our atmosphere has become a primary goal of international efforts. Forest lands are major sink and could absorb large quantities of carbon if the trees are judiciously managed. The study aims at estimating the carbon sequestration capacity of Pinus caribaea (pine) and Tectona grandis (Teak) under the prevailing environmental conditions and exploring tree growth variables that influences the carbon sequestration capacity in Omo Forest Reserve, Ogun State, Nigeria. Improving forest management by manipulating growth characteristics that influences carbon sequestration could be an adaptive strategy of forestry to climate change. Random sampling was used to select Temporary Sample Plots (TSPs) in the study area from where complete enumeration of growth variables was carried out within the plots. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and correlational analyses. The results showed that average carbon stored by Pine and Teak are 994.4±188.3 Kg and 1350.7±180.6 Kg respectively. The difference in carbon stored in the species is significant enough to consider choice of species relevant in climate change adaptation strategy. Tree growth variables influence the capacity of the tree to sequester carbon. Height, diameter, volume, wood density and age are positively correlated to carbon sequestration. These tree growth variables could be manipulated by the forest manager as an adaptive strategy for climate change while plantations of high wood density species could be relevant for management strategy to increase carbon storage.

Keywords: Adaptation, carbon sequestration, climate change, growth variables, wood density.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1109139

Procedia APA BibTeX Chicago EndNote Harvard JSON MLA RIS XML ISO 690 PDF Downloads 2234

References:


[1] Akindele, S.O. and Abayomi, J.O. 1993. Stem diameter distribution in a permanent sample plot of Nauclea diderichi de wild in Southwestern Nigeria. Proceedings of IUFRO conference held in Copenhagen. 14-17 June. Vanclay, J. K., Skovsgaard, J.P and Gertner, G.Z Eds. 188-193.
[2] Baker, T. R., Phillips, O. L., Malhi, Y., Almeida, S., Arroyo, L., Di Fiore, A., Erwin, T., Killeen, T. J., Laurance, S. G., Laurance, W. F., Lewis, S. L., Lloyd, J., Monteagudo, A., Neill, D. A., Patino, S., Pitman, N. C. A., Silva, J. N. M. and Vasquez Martinez, R. 2004. Variation in wood density determines spatial patterns in Amazonian forest biomass. Global Change Biology 10:545–562.
[3] Cloughesy M. 2006. Preface in forest, carbon and climate change: a synthesis of science findings. Portland. 181. Available: http//www.oregonforests.org/assets/uploads//forcarbon-fulrpt.pdf (October 10, 2009)
[4] Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 2010. Global Forest Resource Assessment. 2010. Main report Retrieved 4 October, 2010 from http://www/fao.org/forestry/fra/fra2010/en.
[5] Goers, L., Ashon, M.S, and Tyrell M.L. 2012. Managing Forest Carbon in a Changing Climate. Springer. 1-4
[6] Huston, M.A., Marland, G. (2003): Carbon management and biodiversity. – J. of Environmental Management (Online). Available from: http://www.elsevier.com/ (2002, December, 22)
[7] Intergovermental Panal on Climate Change (IPCC), 2000. Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry, Cambridge University Press, New York. 1-20
[8] IPCC, 2007. Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Summary for Policymakers, Paris. (Online). ttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/ shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/02_02_07_climatereport.pdf (Accessed on February 6, 2007)
[9] Korner C., Asshoff R., Bignucolo O., Hattenschwiler S., Keel S.G., Pelaez-Riedl S., Pepin S., Siegwolf R.T.W. and Zotz G. 2005. Carbon flux and growth in mature deciduous forest trees exposed to elevated CO2. Science. 309 (5739) 1360-1362
[10] Marchetti, M. and Blasi, C. 2010. Old growth forest in Italy: towards a first network. Italian journal of forest and mountain Environment. 65 (6), 679 – 698.
[11] Masera, O. R., J. F. Garza-Caligaris, M. Kanninen, T. Karjalainen, J. Liski, G. J. Nabuurs, A. Pussinen, B. H. J. d. Jong, and G. M. J. Mohrenf. 2003. Modeling carbon sequestration in afforestation, agroforestry and forest management projects: the CO2FIX V.2 approach. Ecological Modeling 164:177-199.
[12] Percy, K.E., Jandl, R., Hall, J.P. and Lavigne M.2003.The Role of Forests in Carbon Cycles, Sequestration, and Storage. Newsletter No.1 http://iufro.boku.ac.at/iufro/taskforce/hptfcs.htm
[13] Petit J. R., J. Jouzel, D. Raynaud, N. I. Barkov, J.-M. Barnola, I. Basile, M. Bender, J. Chappellaz, M. Davis, G. Delaygue, M. Delmotte, V. M. Kotlyakov, M. Legrand, V. Y. Lipenkov, C. Lorius, L. PÉpin, C. Ritz, E. Saltzman & M. Stievenard 1999. Climate and atmospheric history of the past 420,000 years from the Vostok ice core in Antarctica. Nature: 429- 436.
[14] Piovesan, G., Di Filippo, A., Alessandriri, A., Biondi, F., Schirone, B., and White, P.S. 2010. Structure, dynamics and dendroecology of an old growth Fagus forest in Apennines. Journal of vegetation forest. 16 (1) 13-28.
[15] Stegen James C., Nathan G. Swenson, Renato Valencia, Brian J. Enquist and Jill Thompson. 2009. Above-ground forest biomass is not consistently related to wood density in tropical forests. Global Ecology and Biogeography.1-8
[16] Swenson, N.G. and Enquist, B.J. 2007. Ecological and evolutionary determinants of a key plant functional trait: wood density and its community-wide variation across latitude and elevation. American Journal of Botany, 94, 451–459.
[17] Tagupa1, C., A. Lopez, A., Caperida, F., Pamunag, G. and Luzada A. 2010.Carbon dioxide (co2) sequestration capacity of Tampilisan forest. E-International scientific research journal. ISSN: 2094-1749 volume: 2 issue: 3, 2010
[18] Terakunpisut, J. Gaajaseni, N. And Ruankawe N. (2007). Carbon sequestration potential in aboveground biomass of Thong Pha Phum National Forest, Thailand. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research. 5(2): 93 – 102
[19] Tschakert, P. 2001. Human dimensions of carbon sequestration: a political ecology approach to soil fertility management and desertification control in the Old Peanut Basin of Senegal. Arid Lands Newsletter May–June 2001.
[20] Van kooten G.C., Eagle A.J., Manley J., Smo -lak T. 2004.How costly are carbon offsets? A meta – analysis of carbon forest sinks. Environmental Science & Policy.7, 239.