Carbon Sequestration Potential of Teak Plantations of Kerala

Abstract

Carbon storage potential of teak plantation was estimated by studying plantations in Nilambur undergoing prescribed thinning schedules. Nilambur in Kerala State has the reputation of establishing the first teak plantation in India. The area has a humid tropical climate with around 300 cm annual rainfall received from the two monsoons. The soil is well drained coarse textured oxisol with high content of sesquioxides. An average teak tree at Nilambur was found to attain a height of 6.93 m and dbh of 6.3 cm at 5 year which was seen to increase to 22.83 m and 45.85 cm, respectively at the final felling stage of 50 years. Biomass was found to increase from 65.38 kg tree-1 at the first stage to 1085.70 kg tree-1 at the final stage of felling. Significant increase in growth and biomass production was noted after 30th year of plantation.Carbon sequestration in various compartments of teak followed the pattern bole > branch > root > bark in the initial stages and bole > root > branch > bark in the latter stages. Carbon sequestration increased with age and at 50 years 332.88 kg tree- 1 carbon was found to be stored in bole, 60.63 in branch, 80.06 in root and 26.57 kg tree-1 in bark compartment giving a total of 508.14 kg tree-1 of carbon.Allometric models to predict carbon sequestration with height and dbh as independent variable and carbon sequestered as dependent variable were tested to obtain the best fit model. The best regression model for predicting carbon sequestered in the bole compartment was √Y = 1.502 + 0.344 D, that for bark √Y = 1.163 + 0.082 D, for branch ln Y =1.308 lnD-1.116, for root √Y = 0.858 + 0.170 D, for above ground compartment √Y = 2.113 + 0.379 D and that for predicting the total carbon sequestered in the teak in all its vegetative parts was √Y = 2.289 + 0.415 D. Carbon sequestration potential of teak plantations in Kerala was calculated based on the estimated carbon sequestration at prescribed felling stages and the area prescribed for felling in 2014. The calculated figure was 0.21 million tons of carbon which was equivalent to Certified Emission Reduction (CER) potential of 0.81 million units corresponding to 61.48 crores of rupees at current exchange rates