Temporal Assessment of Growing Stock, Biomass and Carbon Stock of Indian Forests

Abstract

The dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems depends on interactions between carbon, nutrient and hydrological cycles. Terrestrial ecosystems retain carbon in live biomass (aboveground and belowground), decomposing organic matter, and soil. Carbon is exchanged naturally between these systems and the atmosphere through photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion. Human activities change carbon stock in these pools and exchanges between them and the atmosphere through land-use, land-use change, and forestry.In the present study we estimated the wood (stem) biomass, growing stock (GS) and carbon stock of Indian forests for 1984 and 1994. The forest area, wood biomass, GS, and carbon stock were 63.86 Mha, 4327.99 Mm 3 , 2398.19 Mt and 1085.06 Mt respectively in 1984 and with the reduction in forest area, 63.34 Mha, in 1994, wood biomass (2395.12 Mt) and carbon stock (1083.69 Mt) also reduced subsequently. The Conifers, of temperate region, stocked maximum carbon in their woods, 28.88 to 65.21 t C ha −1 , followed by Mangrove forests, 28.24 t C ha −1 , Dipterocarp forests, 28.00 t C ha −1 , and Shorea robusta forests, 24.07 t C ha −1 . Boswellia serrata, with 0.22 Mha forest area, stocked only 3.91 t C ha −1 . To have an idea of rate of carbon loss the negative changes (loss of forest area) in forest area occurred during 1984-1994 (10yrs) and 1991-1994 (4yrs) were also estimated. In India, land-use changes and fuelwood requirements are the main cause of negative change. Total 24.75 Mt C was lost during 1984-1994 and 21.35 Mt C during 1991 at a rate of 2.48 Mt C yr −1 and 5.35 Mt C yr −1 respectively. While in other parts of India negative change is due to multiple reasons like fuelwood, extraction of non-wood forest products (NWFPs), illicit felling etc., but in the northeastern region of the country shifting cultivation is the only reason for deforestation. Decrease in forest area due to shifting cultivation accounts for 23.0% of the total deforestation in India, with an annual loss of 0.93 Mt C yr −1 .

A systematic review on the aboveground biomass and carbon stocks of Indian forest ecosystems

“…Studies have been summarized in Table 2. Manhas et al (2006) reported the India's total carbon stock as 1085.06 and 1083.69 Mt in 1984 and 1994, respectively. The major forests contributed to carbon stock were of the order of: Miscellaneous forest > Shorea robusta forest > Tectona grandis forest > Temperate forest > Tropical forest > Bamboo forest, etc.…”

Nationwide Assessment of Forest Burnt Area in India Using Resourcesat-2 AWiFS Data

“…The most important driver of deforestation in north eastern parts of India is the practice of shifting cultivation 53 . Forests are owned mostly by communities in the north east India.…”

“…Forests are owned mostly by communities in the north east India. In Nagaland 91% of forest land is under the control of communities, followed by 90% in Meghalaya, 68% in Manipur, 62% in Arunachal Pradesh, 41% in Tripura and 33% in Mizoram and Assam 53 . Shifting cultivation affected 10 m ha of forests in the north eastern parts of India 54 .…”

Harnessing REDD+ opportunities for forest conservation and carbon stock enhancement in the Northeastern States of India

“…Based on satellite image, Forest Survey of India estimates 1.73 million hectares of land as being affected by shifting cultivation. Decrease in forest area due to shifting cultivation is estimated to account for 23% of the total deforestation in India [11].…”