A.C. Surya Prabha, S. Pragadeesh and M. Senthivelu
Abstract
Plant biomass is an integral part of the global carbon cycle, and its management is vital for mitigating climate change. Plantations are effective carbon sequesters that can slow down future climate change and the anticipated increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Through photosynthesis, trees are able to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in biomass over a period of several decades. The present investigation was undertaken to study the carbon stock in biomass of important plantation species of clonal and seedling origin in the Cauvery-delta zone of Tamil Nadu. A tree plantationâs existing stands of three different ages were chosen from among the available plantations on farmlands, and data on girth and height were recorded for all the trees. The results revealed that the biomass carbon stock was highest in Eucalyptus clonal plantation (EC-4) of > 6 years (533.7 Mg C ha-1), while it was lowest (23.3 Mg C ha-1) in seedling origin plantation of 1 to 2 years. The maximum aboveground biomass (961.17 Mg ha-1), belowground biomass (249.9 Mg ha-1), and biomass carbon stock (569.2 Mg C ha-1), were recorded in the Casuarina clonal plantation of >5 years (CH-5). The results demonstrate the ability of clonal plantations of Casuarina and Eucalyptus in accumulating maximum biomass carbon stock.