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Biomass and Carbon Stock Capacity of Wacho Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia, and its Implication for Climate Change Mitigation

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The carbon stock capacity of forest is deteriorated by anthropogenic factors, which causes for aggravation of climate change. Therefore, the study was undertaken to estimate the carbon stock capacity of Wacho forest and its implication for climate change mitigation. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to assemble the data from 20 m × 20 m of 73 sample plots. Trees and shrubs were collected from 20 m × 20 m main plots, whereas litter and soil samples were collected from each of the five 1 m × 1 m subplots situated at the four corners and one at the midpoint of the main plot. Descriptive statistics were used to find out the maximum, minimum, mean and standard deviations of carbon stock, while one-way analysis of variance was employed to test the effect of altitudinal gradient on carbon stock of the study area. The mean aboveground carbon, belowground carbon, litter carbon and soil organic carbon of Wacho forest were estimated to be 276.84, 55.37, 1.79 and 109.67 ton ha −1 respectively, and the total carbon stock capacity of Wacho forest was 443.76±64.21 ton ha−1. Altitudinal gradient had a statistically significant effect only on litter carbon stock of the study forest at α 0.05. Aboveground carbon and belowground carbon had strong correlation with normalized difference vegetation index and enhanced vegetation index (R2 = 0.82). The implication of Wacho forest for climate change mitigation was estimated to be 1,628.6 ton ha−1 CO2 equivalent. Therefore, the government should start REDD+program on the study forest.

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Acknowledgements

The researcher would like to thank Dambi Dollo University for its funding to conduct this research.

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  1. Department of Natural Resource Management, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia

    Gezahegn Gashu

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  1. Gezahegn Gashu
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Correspondence to Gezahegn Gashu.

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Significance Statement This work provides quantitative data on biomass and carbon stock capacity of the study forest and its implication for climate change mitigation, which fills scientific data gaps for forest administrators and forest policymakers. Moreover, it serves as a benchmark to start reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD +) program and carbon trading finances for Wacho forest.

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Gashu, G. Biomass and Carbon Stock Capacity of Wacho Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia, and its Implication for Climate Change Mitigation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 93, 59–69 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-022-01410-x

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