Carbon stocks and sequestration potential of dry forests under community management in Tigray, Ethiopia

Introduction: Forests form a major component of the carbon (C) reserves in the world’s ecosystems. However, little is known on how management influences C stocks of woody vegetation, particularly in dry areas. We developed regression models for two dominant tree species to predict C stocks and quantified the potential of community managed forests as C sinks. Methods: Plots were randomly selected from community-managed natural forest, herbivore exclosures, and from communal grazing land. Tree and shrub biomass were estimated using a regression model on the most dominant woody species while herbaceous biomass was determined using destructive sampling. Results: The simplest model, based on only one single predictor variable, showed a good fit to the data for both species (Juniperus procera and Acacia abyssinica). Diameter at breast height (r2 > 0.95) was a more reliable predictor than height (r2 > 0.54), crown diameter (r2 > 0.68) (p < 0.001). The C content of the total biomass for the managed natural forest and the exclosure were estimated as, 58.11 and 22.29 Mg ha1, respectively, while that for the grazing land was 7.76 Mg ha1, and the mean carbon content between the three land uses were significantly different (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We conclude that forests managed by the community have a high potential for C sequestration and storage and their conservation should be promoted.

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-017-0088-2

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