A study on carbon sequestration in natural forests of India

Abstract

Among the global common concerns, climate change has been identified as the most important environmental challenge faced by human beings. Emission of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrocarbons are identified as green house gases causing warming of earth globally. Of these gases, CO2 alone accounts for 60 percent share. The most practical way of removing excess carbon from atmosphere and storing it in to a biological system is by absorption of atmospheric CO2 into the physiological system, plant biomass and finally into the soil . Carbon is thus sequestered into the plants and then the animals. Studies have established that Carbon sequestration by trees and forest could provide relatively low cost net emission reduction. Carbon management in forest is therefore one of the most important agenda in India in 21st century in context of green house gases effect and mitigation of global climate changes. Studies indicated that Indian forests share 1,083.81 MtC in the year 1994 to 3,907.67 MtC in the year 1993. Estimated rate of Carbon flux in selected
Indian planted forest reveals that planted forests of short rotation tree species with regular leaf shedding patterns have more capacity for carbon sequestering in litter which decomposes more rapidly than those with annual or bimodal leaf shedding patterns. Mixed planted forest of exotic and native species could be more efficient in sequestering Carbon than the monocultures. This contribution reviews Carbon sequestration in Indian forests at national level and site-specific situations;and elaborates some possible opportunities for sustainable Carbon forestry.