Timber Volume and Aboveground Carbon Sequestration of Rubber-Tree (Hevea Brasiliensis, Muell. Arg.) Plantations in Edo-South Rainforest Ecosystem, Nigeria
Keywords:
Carbon-Sequestration, Climate-Change, Rubber-Trees, Timber-Stem VolumeAbstract
Capturing carbon-dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing it in forest/agroforest ecosystems via phototropic carbon sequestration is a strategy that has been prioritized for reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration to mitigate the global warming problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate carbon sequestration potential of rubber-tree plantations. Plantations of different age levels: 4, 6, 14, 18 and 25 years were selected for sampling. From each plantation, one-hectare area was sub-divided into 25 quadrants (20 x 20 m2) as temporary sampling plots, while 4 quadrants were randomly selected as permanent sampling plots where we measured girth-DBH of all individual trees; and total heights; diameters at base, middle and top of two mean trees. From a reference natural forest, a one-hectare area was subdivided into ten (50 x 20 m2) quadrants, while 4 quadrants were randomly selected as permanent sample plots for measurements of heights and girth/DBH of individual trees. Results showed that bole volume ranged from 9.4 to 385.9 m3/ha in the plantations between age 4 and 25 years. Species-specific mean biomass expansion factor (BEF) value of 2.8 was obtained in our estimation, indicating that BEF of rubber trees decreases with increasing girth/DBH. Aboveground carbon sequestration of the 25-year-old rubber plantation was 175.7 Mg C ha-1. As at the time of this study, the 70 ha rubber trees that were examined had removed a total of 3.67 Giga-grams CO2 from the atmosphere. This was considered very significant in view of the fact that it is an ongoing ecosystem service of the plantations in helping to mitigate global warming induced largely by atmospheric CO2 pollution.
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