ESTIMATION OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL OF TREES UNDER TAMIL NADU BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND GREENING PROJECT (TBGP) - A VIABLE OPTION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION IN TAMIL NADU, INDIAK. BOOMIRAJ, R. JUDE SUDHAGAR, V. ARUNASALASWAMY, R. POORNIMA,K. SENTHILRAJA, AND R. JAGADEESWARANAbstract Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project (TBGP) was launched in Tamil Nadu to create awareness and increase the green cover area through establishment of plantations in farmersâ lands. Carbon sequestration potential was assessed in Pollachi forest range, where TBGP was implemented from 2011to 2015, with tree crops such as Bamboo, Bixa orellana and Khaya senegalensis. Green weight, dry weight and tree carbon content were estimated and subsequently tree carbon sequestration was calculated. The study revealed that different villages recorded variation in growth rate of tree species. Potential dry weight of four year old bamboo ranged from 25 to 145 kg tree-1and five year old bamboo ranged from 149 to 256 kg tree-1. Five year old Bamboo, Bixa orellana and Khaya senegalensis recorded carbon sequestration potential ranging from 23.9 to 13.2 tonsacre-1, 71 and 334 kgacre-1 respectively. Considering the huge extent of cultural waste lands, current fallow lands and other fallow lands in Tamil Nadu, which is estimated to be 2.645 million ha, bamboo cultivation in these lands under TBGP has the potential to sequester 31.7 to 121.2 million tonnes of carbon, while Bixa orellana could sequester 0.47 million tonnes of carbon and Khaya senegalensis has the potential to sequester 2.21 million tonnes of carbon in five years apart from other ecosystem benefits. Large scale establishment of tree plantations of the above mentioned tree species could provide to be a viable option for mitigation of climate change through implementation of TBGP in the state of Tamil Nadu. |