Carbon Storage of the Trees and Roots of the Different Forest Communities of Kalahan Forest Reserve, Philippines

Abstract

Climate change has caught much attention globally because of its adverse impacts. It has been recognized that tropical forests have the greatest potential for mitigating climate change due to its high capacity to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. In the Philippines, Kalahan Forest Reserve (KFR), located in cluster 1 of Ikalahan– Kalanguya Ancestral Domain, provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Pangasinan is one of the areas that can serve as sink of carbon. To determine the amount of carbon that can be potentially stored in the forestlands of KFR, eight transects (two transects each in mossy and Pinus kesiya forests; four transects in secondary forests) were established. In each transect, 10 sample plots measuring 100 m2 were established. Trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm inside the sample plots were measured and their species name noted. Biomass of trees and roots were determined using appropriate allometric equations. Biomass densities were converted to equivalent carbon by multiplying them by 45%average value for the Philippines. Results of the assessment show that biomass and carbon densities of the three forest communities are in the following order: Pinus kesiya > secondary > mossy. More than 80% of the biomass is contributed by the trees while the remaining portion comes from the roots. Using the carbon density values derived, forestlands of KFR with an area of 5,087 ha holds a total of 457,698.79 mg of carbon. The results imply that KFR has great potential to serve as sink of carbon.