Carbon Stock in Biomass of Important Plantations in the Southern Zone of Tamil Nadu, India

Plantations are efficient sequesters of carbon and can mitigate the predicted rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration and future climate change. Trees can capture atmospheric CO2 through photosynthesis and store it in biomass with a turnover time of several decades. The present investigation was undertaken to study the carbon stock in biomass of important plantation species of clonal and seedling origin in the Southern agro-climatic zone of Tamil Nadu. The existing stands of three different ages of a tree plantation were selected from within the available plantations on farmlands, and data on girth and height were recorded for all the trees. The results revealed that the total carbon stocks (537.8 Mg ha-1) was maximum under Eucalyptus clonal plantation of >6 years. Aboveground biomass was greater than belowground biomass, accounting for 79% of total biomass in Casuarina clonal plantation of > 5 years. Biomass carbon stock in Melia increased from 49.8 Mg C ha-1 in 1 to 4 years plantation to 95.5 Mg C ha-1 in >7 years old plantation. The findings explain the ability of clonal plantations of Casuarina and Eucalyptus in accumulating maximum biomass carbon stock.