Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(11): 1804-1818 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 11 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.711.205 Growth and Carbon Storage Potential of Important Agroforestry Trees of North-West Himalaya S.R. Roshanzada, K.S. Pant* and S. Kar Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan 173220, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Growth, biomass, carbon storage and allometric relations for estimating stem volume and aboveground biomass on the basis of DBH and Height of tree and growth pattern curve, carbon storage and developed various allometric equations on selected Agroforestry trees. Total seven species including 210 trees were marked selected in the present study. The K e yw or ds maximum adjust R2 found in; Albizia chinensis where quadratic function showed the 2 Growth, Carbon storage, highest adj R (0.993) on the basis of DBH and according to the height of tree (H), the best Allometric equation, Total fit was also quadratic, which showed adj R2 in the value of (0.695), on the other hand for biomass, Albizia chinensis, Albizia lebbeck, Acacia six species trees, power function was the best significant equation which modified the mollissima, Dalbergia sissoo, 2 Toona ciliata, Melia highest adj R for the following specieses, that are Albizia lebbeck (0.964), Acacia composita and Ulmus villosa mollissima (0.992), Melia composita (0.990), Dalbergia sissoo (0.992), Toona ciliata Article Info (0.888) and Ulmus villosa (0.990) recorded on the basis of DBH, however, to the height of 2 tree as an independent variable, the best equation was sigmoid which showed the adj R Accepted: value in Albizia lebbeck (0.480), Acacia mollissima (0.530), Melia composita (0.598), 15 October 2018 Dalbergia sissoo (0.551), Toona ciliata (0.645) and Ulmus villosa (0.597). The total Available Online: biomass (AGB + BGB) was calculated using specific gravity and root-shoot ratio. Branch 10 November 2018 and leaves biomass of each species was estimated using biomass expansion factor (BEF) of trees as per the guidelines of IPCC (2003). All biomass values were converted to tree biomass carbon by multiplying factor of 0.5. However, in this research, equation selection was based on adjust R2 and minimum standard error. Introduction can be managed to sequester or conserve significant quantities of C on the land (Brown Forestry play an important role in regional and et al., 1996; Sharma et al., 2011). This global global carbon (C) cycle because they store importance of forest ecosystem emphasizes large quantities of C in vegetation and soil, the need to accurately determine the amount exchange C with the atmosphere through of carbon stored in different forest ecosystem photosynthesis and respiration and are source (Nizami, 2010). Forest ecosystems act as both of atmospheric C when they are disturbed by source and sink of carbon and thus play a human or natural causes, become atmospheric crucial role in global carbon cycles. Forests C sink during re-growth after disturbance, and form an important aspect of active carbon pool 1804 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(11): 1804-1818 as they account for 60 percent of terrestrial Solan between 30o 50 30 to 30o 52 0 N carbon storage (Wilson and Daff, 2003). latitude and the longitude 77o8 30 and 77o11 Forest ecosystem is one of the most important 30 E (Survey of India Toposheet No. 53F/1) carbon sinks of the terrestrial ecosystem. It with an elevation of about 900-1300 m above uptakes the carbon dioxide by the process of mean sea level. The minimum and maximum photosynthesis and stores the carbon in the temperature varies from 3oC during winter plant tissues, forest litter and soils. As more (January) to 33oC during summer (June), photosynthesis occurs, more CO2 is converted whereas; mean annual temperature (MAT) is into biomass, reducing carbon in the 19oC. atmosphere and sequestering it in plant tissue above and below ground (Gorte, 2009; IPCC, Biomass sampling 2003) resulting in growth of different parts (Chavan and Rasal, 2010). Seven species (each species 30 trees) were measured for their diameter at breast height Allometry, generally relates some non-easy to (DBH) and height with tree calliper and measure tree characteristics from easily Ravi’s altimeter, respectively. Biomass of the collected data such as dbh (diameter at breast stem is determined by multiplying volume of height), total height or tree age and provides stem with specific gravity. Local volume relatively accurate estimates. Models for equation developed for specific tree species volume, biomass or nutrient content within the and region was used for calculating the trees belong to the same class as volume of the forest trees, Branch and leaves methodologies for sampling trees and fitting biomass was estimated by multiplying the and using the equations are similar. Despite volume of trees of each species with their their apparent simplicity, these models have to corresponding biomass expansion factors, be built carefully, using the latest regression techniques. The total aboveground biomass of the tree comprised of the sum of stem biomass, branch Tree growth parameters varies considerably biomass and leaf biomass, The below ground with species, site quality, location, climatic biomass (BGB) calculated by multiplying regimes, altitude etc. and therefore becomes above ground biomass taking 0.26 as the root: necessary to obtain accurate and precise tree shoot ratio and for total biomass were allometric estimates in order to improve calculated sum of above ground biomass and understanding of the role of these carbon sinks belowground biomass. in global carbon cycle. An unsuitable application of allometric equation may lead to Growth considerable bias in carbon stocks estimations (Henry et al., 2013). To find the growth were calculated growth parameter (crown area, crown width, crown Materials and Methods volume and height of the tree) Site description Crown area The study was conducted in out in, Dr Y S Crown area will be assumed to be a circle, and Parmar University of Horticulture and it was calculated and used the formula given Forestry, Nauni area, Solan Himachal Pradesh, by Chaturvedi and Khanna (2000) and India. The area lies about 13 kilometres from expressed in meter square. CA=π÷4D2. 1805 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(11): 1804-1818 Crown width Adjusted R2 The crown width (m) was measured in two Calculated as per following formula given by directions (North-south and East-west) and Gujrati, 1998. average was calculated as: D1 + D2 R2 = 1 - [ ] Where: R = sample R- CW = ------------- square, N= number of observations and K= 2 number of parameter. Crown volume Standard residual error: (Mbow et al., 2013) 훔 For calculated, used the following formula (Balehegn et al., 2012): SRE CV=4ԉ÷3+(CW÷2+CD÷2)³. Where: y = the average of the observed Height of trees parameter, 훔 = the standard deviation and n= is the number of sample. It is the height from base to top of standing tree measured and used Ravi Millimeter and Results and Discussion expressed in meters. Determination of allometric equation Carbon storage among the tree components Biomass of each tree component converted to The result on various linear and non-linear biomass-carbon by multiplying biomass with functions for tree volume as the dependent conversion factor of 0.50. variable and DBH (diameter at breast height) and tree Height separately as independent Statistical procedure variable for Albizia chinensis, Albizia lebbeck, Melia composita, Acacia mollissima, Toona All the species compared for their ciliata, Dalbergia sissoo and Ulmus morphological characters by using standard wallichiana and are present in Table 1. statistical procedure. Albizia chinensis The allometric relationships among different tree components of an individual tree like The allometric relations for estimating stem height, dbh, biomass and volume developed volume with DBH and Height of tree , each by using linear and non-linear functions. taken independently , where quadratic Function showed highest R̄ 2 (0.98) stem Data processing and analysis volume with DBH. In case of tree Height sigmoid function showed highest adj R̄ 2 The best linear and nonlinear relationship (0.69). between tree components determined by determination of (Adj.R2) and standard The allometric relationship of tree stem residual error. biomass with DBH and tree Height , each 1806 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(11): 1804-1818 taken independently, where quadratic function (ABG) based on DBH as well as tree Height showed R̄ 2 (0.99) for tree stem biomass with when used independently. The results revealed DBH. In case of Height of tree sigmoid that power function was strong with adj R̄ 2 function showed the highest adj R̄ 2 (0.69). (0.95) and similarly, stronger relationships were found for tree Height variable with Albizia chinensis showed significant maximum R̄ 2 values by power function (0.47). allometric relationship for estimating of branch and leaves biomass (BB) with DBH as Acacia mollissima well as tree Height when used independently. The results revealed that quadratic function Among based on DBH, the allometric was strong with adj R̄ 2 (0.98). Similarly, relations were significant, where power stronger relationships were found for tree function reported highest R̄ 2 (0.99) and for tree Height variable with maximum R̄ 2 values by Height variable, the significant relationships sigmoid function (0.69). were stronger with maximum value of R̄ 2 (0.52) for sigmoid. The allometric relationships of tree above ground biomass (AGB) with DBH and Height Allometric relations for estimating stem of tree , each taken independently , where biomass with DBH as well as tree Height quadratic Function showed R̄ 2 (0.99) and In separately for Acacia mollissima.