Carbon sequestration potential of different species in dry deciduous forests of Haliyal taluk

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the carbon sequestration potential of dry deciduous forests of Haliyal taluk,Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka, during the year 2019-2022. The carbon content of trees was estimated by laying sampleplots in the study area i.e. through Point Centered Quarter (PCQ) technique. The results indicated that the total carboncontents of all the sampled trees in dry deciduous forests of Haliyal taluk was 789.235 tons. Among the different treespecies found in the study area, Tectona grandis was found to have major share in carbon sequestration by 333.698 tons,followed by Careya arborea (67.124 tons) and Lagerstroemia lanceolata (48.81 tons). The other species like Terminaliapaniculata, Terminalia tomentosa, Xyliaxylocarpa, Dalbergia latifolia, Strychnosnux-vomica, C. timorentis and Anogeissuslatifolia also have considerable amount of contribution towards carbon sequestration with 48.232 tons, 45.145 tons, 43.769tons, 37.717 tons, 20.835 tons, 19.335 tons, 17.592 tons of carbon respectively are in the top ten species having thepotential to sequester carbon in dry deciduous forests of Halyal taluk. The periodic assessment and protection of theseforest species is necessary since these dry deciduous forests are in high risk of degradation and deforestation by natural andanthropogenic factors resulting in release of carbon into the atmosphere and acting as carbon source..