Carbon Storage of Dry Dipterocarp Forest and Eucalypt Plantation at Mancha Khiri Plantation, Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

The study on carbon storage in dry dipterocarp forest and eucalypt plantations at Mancha Khiri plantation, Khon Kaen province aimed to compare the carbon storage potential between dry dipterocarp forest and 1-4 year-old eucalypt plantations. A 40 X 40 m sample plot was laid out in each age of eucalypt plantation, while four 40 X 40 m sample plots were laid out in the dry dipterocarp forest. Tree parameters were measured in order to estimate above- and below-ground biomass by allometric equations. Three soil sample pits were excavated in each sample plot. In each soil pit, three levels of soil sample (0-20 cm, >20-40 cm and >40-60 cm from the surface soil) were collected for an analysis of the organic carbon content by the dry combustion method.

The results revealed that the 3-year-old eucalypt plot had the highest total carbon storage with an amount of 64.70 tonne ha-1 followed by the 4-year-old eucalypt plot, the dry dipterocarp forest, the 2-year-old eucalypt plot and the 1-year-old eucalypt plot with amounts of 60.41, 58.36, 54.55 and 48.48 tonne ha-1, respectively. The differences in carbon storage were due to tree biomass rather than soil carbon. However, both the dry dipterocarp forest and the eucalypt plantations were important carbon sinks in the tropical ecosystem. Hence, deforestation should be decreased and reforestation should be increased in order to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Keywords: biomass, carbon storage, dry dipterocarp forest, eucalypt plantation, Mancha Khiri Plantation