Tree Population Structure and Carbon Stock of Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest in Dehing Patkai National Park, Assam, Northeast India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55863/ijees.2024.3296Keywords:
Biomass, Density, Forest, Girth, Total carbon stock, Tree speciesAbstract
The present study was conducted within the tropical wet evergreen forests of Dehing Patkai National Park, Assam. The primary objective was to analyse the tree population structure and carbon stock of tree species within the forest. The findings of the study unveiled a total of 64 tree species belonging to 51 genera and 34 families. Among these species, the highest number of individuals (567 individuals ha-1) were found in the lower girth class of 30-60 cm. Total carbon density (TCD) and total carbon stock (TCS) was estimated to be 217.56 t ha-1 and 458.16 t ha-1, respectively. Dipterocarpus retusus, Mesua ferrea and Castanopsis indica were identified as the species with the highest number of individuals ha-1. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to assess the differences in girth, height, TBD and TCD among the tree species, which revealed a significant difference (p<0.05). The results of the regression analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation (p<0.01) of TCD with density (r2 = 0.85) and DBH (r2 = 0.11). However no relationship observed between TCD and height. These findings suggest that the tree species, encompassing individuals across different girth classes, store a substantial amount of carbon within their biomass indicating a huge potential to grow in future.
References
Alexandrov, G. 2007. Carbon stock growth in a forest stand: the power of age. Carbon Balance Management, 2, 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1750-0680-2-4.
Baidya, S., Thakur, B. and Devi, A. 2022. The influence of tree population structure on regeneration potential in the sacred forests of Assam, India. Tropical Ecology, 63, 239-251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-021-00208-8.
Balmford, A. and Bond, W. 2005. Trends in the state of nature and their implications for human well-being. Ecology Letters, 8, 1218-1234. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248. 2005.00814.x.
Bhattacharyya, T., Pal, D.K., Chandran, P., Ray, S.K., Mandal, C. and Telpande, B. 2008. Soil carbon storage capacity as a tool to prioritize areas for carbon sequestration. Current Science, 95, 482-494.
Brown, S. 1997. Estimating biomass and biomass change of tropical forests: A primer (FAO Forestry Paper-134). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
Cairns, M.A., Helmer, E.H. and Baumgardner, G.A. 1997. Root biomass allocation in the world’s upland forest. Oecologia, 111,1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004420050201
Calago, J.C. and Diola, A.G. 2022. Population structure and spatial pattern of critically endangered Dipterocarpaceae tree species in Mt. Malindang range Natural Park, Mindanao, Philippines. Open Journal of Ecology, 12, 407-433. https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2022.127024.
Chandrasekharan C. 1960. Forest types of Kerala state. Special paper submitted for Diploma in Forestry. New Forest, Dehra Dum, India.
Cruz-Amo, L., Bañares-de-dios, G., Cala, CÍ., Cerda, Í.G., Espinosa, C.I., Ledo, A., Salinas, N. and Macía, M.J. 2020. Trade-offs among aboveground, belowground, and soil organic carbon stocks along altitudinal gradients in Andean tropical montane forests. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00106
Daba, D.E., Dullo, B.W. and Soromessa, T. 2022. Effect of forest management on carbon stock of Tropical moist Afromontane Forest. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2022,1-14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3691638.
Dantas, D., Terra, M.C.N.S., Pinto, L.O.R., Calegario, N. and Maciel, S.M. 2020. Above and belowground carbon stock in a tropical forest in Brazil. Acta Scientiarum, 43, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.4025/actasciagron.v43i1.48276.
Dar, A.A. and Parthasarathy, N. 2022. Patterns and drivers of tree carbon stocks in Kashmir Himalayan forests: implications for climate change mitigation. Ecological Processes, 11, art 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-022-00402-z.
David, H.C., Araújo, E.J.G. de., Morais, V.A., Scolforo, J.R.S., Marques, J.M., Péllico Netto, S. and MacFarlane, D.W. 2017. Carbon stock classification for tropical forests in Brazil: Understanding the effect of stand and climate variables. Forest Ecology and Management, 404: 241–250. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.08.044
Dinerstein, E., Olson, D., Joshi, A., Vynne, C., Burgess, N.D., Wikramanayake, E., Hahn, N., Palminteri, S., Hedao, P., Noss, R., Kormos, C., Martin, V., Crist, E., Sechrest, W., Price, L., Baillie, J.E.M., Weeden, D., Suckling, K., Davis, C., Sizer, N., Moore, R., Thau, D., Birch, T., Potapov, P., Turubanova, S., Tyukavina, A., de Souza, N., Pintea, L., Brito, J.C., Llewellyn, O.A., Miller, A.G., Patzelt, A., Ghazanfar, S.A., Timberlake, J., Kloser, H., Shennan-Farpon, Y., Kindt, R., Lilleso, J-P.B., van Breugel, P., Graudal, L., Voge, M., Al-Shammari, K.F. and Saleem M. 2017. An ecoregion-based approach to protecting half the terrestrial realm. Bioscience, 67, 534-545. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix014.
Dumitraºcu, M., Kucsicsa, G., Dumitricã, C., Popovici, E., Vrînceanu A., Mitricã, B., Mocanu, I. and erban P. 2020. Estimation of future changes in aboveground forest carbon stock in Romania. A prediction based on forest-cover pattern scenario. Forests, 11, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/F11090914.
Ekoungoulou, R., Niu, S., Joël, L.J. and Suspense, I.A. 2015. Evaluating the carbon stock in above-and below- ground biomass in a moist central African forest. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 3, 51-59. https://doi.org/10.12691/aees-3-2-4.
Forest Survey of India. 2021. State of Forests 2021. Retrieved on 15/08/2023. https://fsi.nic.in/forest-report-2021-details.
Giri, K., Buragohain, P., Konwar, S. and Pradhan, B. 2019. Tree diversity and ecosystem carbon stock assessment in Nambor wildlife sanctuary, Assam. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, 89, 1421-1428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-018-01072-8.
Giroldo, A.B. and Scariot, A. 2015. Land use and management affects the demography and conservation of an intensively harvested Cerrado fruit tree species. Biological Conservation, 191, 150-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.06.020.
Gogoi, A., Sahoo, U.K. and Singh, S.L. 2017. Assessment of biomass and total carbon stock in a tropical Wet Evergreen Rainforest of Eastern Himalaya along a disturbance gradient. Journal of Plant Biology & Soil Health, 4, art 8. https://doi.org/10.13188/2331-8996.1000014
Gogoi, R.R., Adhikari, D., Upadhaya, K. and Barik, S.K. 2020. Tree diversity and carbon stock in a subtropical broadleaved forest are greater than a subtropical pine forest occurring in similar elevation of Meghalaya, north-eastern India. Tropical Ecology, 61, 142-149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-020-00061-1.
Gogoi, R., Chetry, A. and Bhuyan, A. 2023. Diversity and species richness of butterfly in Soraipung range of Dehing Patkai National Park, Assam, India. The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology, 84,1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41936-023-00327-9.
Gonçalves, F.M.P., Revermann, R., Gomes, A.L., Finckh, M. and Juergens, N. 2017. Tree species diversity and composition of miombo woodlands in South-Central Angola: A chronosequence of forest recovery after shifting cultivation. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2017, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/6202093.
Guan, J.H., Deng, L., Zhang, G., He, Q., She, W., Li, G. and Du, S. 2019. Soil organic carbon density and its driving factors in forest ecosystems across a northwestern province in China. Geoderma, 352, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.05.035
Hare, M.A., Lantagne, D.O., Murphy, P.G. and Checo, H.M. 1997. Structure and tree species composition in a subtropical dry forest in the Dominican Republic: comparison with a dry forest in Puerto Rico. Tropical Ecology, 38, 1-17.
Hoffmann, U., Hoffmann, T., Jurasinski, G., Glatzel, S. and Kuhn. N. J. 2014. Assessing the spatial variability of soil organic carbon stocks in an alpine setting (Grindelwald, Swiss Alps). Geoderma 232–234, 270-283. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.04.038.
ICRAF. Ecological Database. Retrieved on 20 November 2020 from http://db.worldagroforestry.org/wd.
IPCC. 2000. Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry: A special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Edinburgh.
Joseph, S., Reddy, S.C., Thomas, A.P. and Srivastava, S.K. 2010. Spatial interpolation of carbon stock: A case study from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 17, 481-486. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2010.516107.
Joshi, R.. Pangeni, M.. Neupane, S.S. and Yadav, N.P. 2021. Regeneration status and carbon accumulation potential in community managed sal (shorea robusta) forests of far-western terai region, Nepal. European Journal of Ecology, 7, 26-39. https://doi.org/10.17161/EUROJECOL. V7I1.15005.
Khan, M.L., Rai, J.P.N. and Tripathi, R.S. 1987. Population structure of some tree species in disturbed and protected subtropical forests of north-east India. Acta Oecologica, 8, 247-255.
Leley, N.C., Langat, D.K., Kisiwa, A.K., Maina, G.M. and Muga, M.O. 2022. Total carbon stock and potential carbon sequestration economic value of Mukogodo forest-landscape ecosystem in Drylands of Northern Kenya. Open Journal of Forestry, 12,19-40.
Makemba, R. N., F. Tosso, C. Moupela, G. Ligot, Y. Brostaux, and J. L. Doucet. 2022. Enrichment of logging gaps with high-value timber species: how far fertilizer, biochar and mammal predation affect performances of Cylicodiscus gabunensis harms seedlings. Forests 13.1-16. doi:10.3390/f13111937.
Mathys, A.S., Brang, P., Stillhard, J., Bugmann, H. and Hobi, M.L. 2021. Long-term tree species population dynamics in Swiss forest reserves influenced by forest structure and climate. Forest Ecology and Management, 481, 118666. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco. 2020.118666.
Meentemeyer, V. and Berg, B. 1986. Regional variation in rate of mass loss of Pinus sylvestris needle litter in Swedish pine forest as influenced by climate and litter quality. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 1, 167-180. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/02827588609382409.
Mishra, B.P., Tripathi, O.P. and Laloo, R.C. 2005. Community characteristics of a climax subtropical humid forest of Meghalaya and population structure of ten important tree species. Tropical Ecology, 46, 241-251.
Nath, A.J., Tiwari, B.K., Sileshi, G.W., Sahoo, U.K., Brahma, B., Deb, S., Bijayalaxmi Devi, N., Das, A.K., Reang, D., Chaturvedi, S.S., Tripathi, O.P., Das, D.J. and Gupta, A. 2019. Allometric models for estimation of forest biomass in North East India. Forests, 10(2), art103. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10020103.
Nath, P.C., Arunachalam, A., Khan, M.L. and Barbhuiya, A.R. 2005. Vegetation analysis and tree population structure of tropical wet evergreen forests in and around Namdapha National Park, northeast India. Biodiversity Conservation, 14, 2109-2135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-4361-1.
Návar, J.C. 2010. Biomass allometry for tree species of northwestern Mexico. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 12, 507-519.
Nworo, F.B., Ndah, N.R. and Andrew, E.E. 2020. Stand structure, regeneration status and distribution patterns of six important tree species along altitudinal gradients at the Kilum-Ijim Forest Reserve, Cameroon. Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International, 21, 41-57.
Oumer, M.R.H., Abdi, A.B. and Yusuf, M.M. 2020. Biomass and soil organic carbon stocks of woody species at Ades dry Afromontane forest, South-Eastern Ethiopia. International Journal of Soil Science, 15, 8-15. 10.3923/ijss.2020.8.15.
Pan, Y., Birdsey, R.A., Fang, J., Houghton, R., Kauppi, P.E., Kurz, W.A., Phillips, O.L., Shvidenko, A., Lewis, S.L., Canadell, J.G., Ciais, P., Jackson, R.B., Pacala, S.W., McGuire, A.D., Piao, S., Rautiainen, A., Sitch, S. and Hayes, D. 2011. A large and persistent carbon sink in the World’s forests. Science, 333, 988-993. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1201609.
Pandey, H.P. and Bhusal, M. 2016. A comparative study on carbon stock in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in two different ecological regions of Nepal. Banko Janakari, 26, 24-31. https://doi.org/10.3126/banko.v26i1.15498.
Pearson, T.R.H., Brown, S. and Birdsey, R. 2007. Measurement guidelines for the sequestration of forest carbon. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, USA.
Poorter, L., van der Sande, M.T., Thompson, J., Arets, E.J.M.M., Alarcon, A., Alvarez-Sanchez, J., Ascarrunz, N., Balvanera, P., Barajas-Guzman, G., Boit, A., Bongers, F., Carvalho, F.A., Casanoves, F., Gornejo-Tenorio, G., Costa, F.R.C., de Castilho, C.V., Duivenvoorden, J.F., Dutrieux, L.P., Enquist, B.J., Fernandez-Mendez, F., Finegan, B., Gormley, L.H.L., Healey, J.R., Hoosbeek, M.R., Ibarra-Manriqueq, G., Junqueira, A.B., Levis, C., Licona, J.C., Lisboa, L.S., Magnusson, W.E., Martinez-Ramos, M., Martinez-Yrizar, A., Martorano, L.G., Maskell, L.C., Mazzei, L., Meave, J.A., Mora, F., Munoz, R., Nytch, C., Pansonato, M.P., Parr, T.W., Paz, H., Perez-Garcia, E.A., Renteria, L.Y., Rodriguez-Velazquez, J., Rozendaal, D.M.A., Ruschel, A.R., Sakschewski, B., Salgado-Negret, B., Schietti, J., Simoes, M., Sinclair, F.L., Souza, P.F., Souza, F.C., Stropp, J., ter Steege, H., Swenson, N.G., Thonicke, K., Toledo, M., Uriarte, M., van der Hout, P., Walker, Zamora, N. and Pena-Claros, M. 2015. Diversity enhances carbon storage in tropical forests. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 24, 1314-1328. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12364.
Pragasan, L.A. 2016. Assessment of carbon stock of tree vegetation in the Kolli hill forest located in India. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 14, 169-183. https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1402_169183.
Pragasan, L.A. 2022. Tree carbon stock and its relationship to key factors from a tropical hill forest of Tamil Nadu, India. Geology, Ecology, and Landscapes, 6, 32-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/24749508.2020.1742510.
Prakasha, H.M., Nanda, A. and Krishnamurthy, Y.L. 2008. Stand structure of a tropical dry deciduous forest in Bhadra wildlife sanctuary, Karnataka, Southern India. Bulletin of the National Institute of Ecology, 19, 1-7
Raha, D., Dar, J.A., Pandey, P.K., Lone, P., Verma, S., Khare, P.K. and Khan, M.L. 2020. Variation in tree biomass and carbon stocks in three tropical dry deciduous forest types of Madhya Pradesh, India. Carbon Management, 11, 109-120. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2020.1712181.
Ramachandra, T.V. and Bharath, S. 2020. Carbon sequestration potential of the forest ecosystems in the Western Ghats, a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. Natural Resources Research, 29, 2753-2771. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-019-09588-0.
Richards, M. 1996. Protected areas, people and incentives in the search for sustainable forest conservation in Honduras. Environmental Conservation, 23, 207-217. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892900038820.
Sahoo, U.K., Tripathi, O.P., Nath, A.J., Deb, S., Das, D.J., Gupta, A., Bijayalaxmi Devi, N., Chaturvedi, S.S., Singh, S.L., Kumar, A. and Tiwari, B.K. 2021. Quantifying tree diversity, carbon stocks, and sequestration potential for diverse land uses in Northeast India. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.724950
Saikia, P. and Khan, M.L. 2016. Tree species diversity and its population and regeneration status in homegardens of upper Assam, Northeast India. Journal of Forest and Environmental Science, 32, 129-139. https://doi.org/10.7747/jfes.2016.32.2.129.
Salunkhe, O.R., Valvi, G.R., Singh, S., Rane, G.M., Khan, M.L., Saxena, V. and Khare, P.K.. 2023. Forest carbon stock and biomass estimation in West Central India using two allometric models. Carbon Research, 2, art 9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-023-00039-3.
Sarkar, M. and Devi, A. 2014. Assessment of diversity, population structure and regeneration status of tree species in Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, Northeast India. Tropical Plant Research, 1, 26-36. https://www.tropicalplantresearch.com/vol1Issue2/pdf/5.1.pdf
Saxena, A.K. and Singh, J.S. 1984. Tree population structure of certain Himalayan forest associations and implications concerning their future composition. Vegetation, 58, 61-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00044928.
Schmitt-harsh, M., Evans, P.T., Castellanos, E. and Randolph, J.C. 2012. Carbon stocks in coffee agroforests and mixed dry tropical forests in the western highlands of Guatemala. Agroforestry System, 86, 141-157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-012-9549-x
Sierra, C.A., Valle, J.I., Orrego, S.A. and Moreno, F. 2007. Total carbon stocks in a tropical forest landscape of the Porce region, Colombia. Forest Ecology Management, 243, 299-309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.03.026.
Sumita, R., Kiran, B. and Bargali, S.S. 2015. Assessment of plant diversity, regeneration status, biomass and carbon stock in a Central Himalayan cypress forest. International Journal of Biodiversity Conservation 7, 321-329. https://doi.org/10.5897/ijbc2015.0855.
Thokchom, A. and Yadava, P.S. 2017. Biomass and carbon stock along an altitudinal gradient in the forest of Manipur, Northeast India. Tropical Ecology, 58, 389-396
Tynsong, H., Dkhar, M. and Tiwari, B.K. 2022. Tree diversity and vegetation structure of the tropical evergreen forests of the southern slopes of Meghalaya, North East India. Asian Journal of Research, 6, 22-33. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjfor/r060104.
Ullah, M.R. and Al, A.M 2012. Above- and below-ground carbon stock estimation in a natural forest of Bangladesh. Journal of Forest Science, 58, 372-379. https://doi.org/10.17221/103/2011-JFS
Worku, A., Teketay, D., Lemenih, M. and Fetene, M. 2012. Diversity, regeneration status, and population structures of gum and resin producing woody species in Borana, southern Ethiopia. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 21, 85-96.
Zhang, Y., Li, P., Liu, X., Li, T. and Wang, D. 2022. The response of soil organic carbon to climate and soil texture in China. Frontiers in Earth Science 16, 835-845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-021-0940-7.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Shilpa Baidya, Sweeta Sumant, Anubhav Bhuyan, Nayan Jyoti Hazarika, Bijay Thakur, Nirmali Gogoi, Amit Parkash, Sumi Handique, Ashalata Devi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
