Carbon capture potential of high-altitude treeline forming forests in Western Himalaya, India
摘要
Biomass production and carbon sequestration are among the most important ecosystem services provided by the forests. The treeline ecosystem of the Himalaya plays an important role in carbon storage. The objective of the present study was to assess biomass, productivity, and carbon sequestration in the Chopta-Tungnath treeline of the Western Himalaya. The lower site, Chopta, is located between 2615 and 2843 m, and the upper site, Tungnath, is located between 3145 and 3360 m above sea level and falls within the subalpine and alpine zones. The biomass of trees was estimated by measuring the circumference of trees at breast height. The total tree density was higher in the lower limit of treeline (Chopta) 1390 ind. ha−1 than the upper limit (Tungnath) 760 ind. ha−1. The soil moisture was higher at the Tungnath site in all depths than at the Chopta site. The soil organic carbon (SOC%) was significantly higher at Tungnath than at Chopta, ranging between 4.88 and 6.38%. At the Tungnath site, the cumulative biomass for all tree species increased from 411.51 t ha−1 in Year 1 (Yr1) to 420.14 t ha−1 in Year 2 (Yr2). Total above-ground biomass (TAG) contributed 79% and below-ground biomass (TBG) contributed 21% in total biomass. Similarly, at the Chopta site, total cumulative biomass varied between 508.32 t ha−1 in Year 1 to 512.76 t ha−1 in Year 2. Species-level analysis revealed that A. pindrow had the highest biomass at both sites (p < 0.01). ANOVA indicated that the total productivity differed significantly between the sites (p < 0.01), with Tungnath showing higher productivity compared to Chopta. The total carbon sequestration of tree species at Tungnath was 4.10 t C ha−1 yr−1, and at Chopta, it was lower, 2.11 t C ha−1 yr−1. The study emphasizes the critical role of treeline forests in carbon storage and sequestration.