Carbon Stock Potential of Benguet Pine (Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon) Stands within a Mining Sire in Padcal, Benguet Province, Philippines

Elenita L. Racelis; Diomedes A. Racelis; Teodoro R. Villanueva; Leonardo M. Florece; Myrna G. Carandang; Renato L. Lapitan; Ecosystems and Development Journal

Elenita L. Racelis Training Center for Tropical Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability (TREES), College of Forestry and Natural Resources, UPLB
Diomedes A. Racelis Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, CFNR, UPLB, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Teodoro R. Villanueva Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, CFNR, UPLB, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Leonardo M. Florece School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños
Myrna G. Carandang Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, CFNR, UPLB, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Renato L. Lapitan Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, CFNR, UPLB, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Ecosystems and Development Journal

Keywords: biomass assessment, carbon sequestration, mining, Pinus kesiya

Abstract

The study evaluated the climate change mitigation potential of Benguet Pine (Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon) forests in a mining site. It measured the amount of biomass, carbon and equivalent CO2 stored in trees, understorey and herbaceous (UH), necromass and litter (NL), coarse woody debris (CWD), roots and soil organic carbon (SOC) under three stand density types. It adopted a single stratum stratified sampling. A non–destructive sampling was applied to all trees with diameter of 5 cm and above. Total harvesting of UH and NL samples were done in subplots inside the main sample plots. Composite soil samples were collected per soil depth (0–10 cm; 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm) and replicated per elevation type (high, mid and lower elevation). Stand types were classified using Google Earth image and GIS–generated map based on crown stocking density (CSD): high (HDS) = 2/3 CSD, medium (MDS) = > 1/3 – < 2/3 CSD and low (LDS) = >1/3 CSD. Results showed a mean biomass density of 176.83 Mg ha–1 with C content of 169.74 Mg ha–1. The C content per stand type is as follows: HDS= 199.06 Mg ha–1; MDS = 188.91 Mg ha–1 and LDS = 123.03 Mg ha–1. This amounted to a total 8,277,474.88 Mg of CO2 in the 12,185–ha Padcal Mine forests.