Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Sequestration in Dalbergia sissoo Roxb

Carbon management is a serious concern confronting the world today. The significance of role of biomass of tree species in carbon sequestration has long been recognized, but very little attempts have been made to estimate the biomass accumulation and their contribution for sequestration of carbon, especially in mined out areas. Carbon sequestration rates vary by tree species, soil type, regional climate, and topography and management practice. In the present paper, attempts were made to work out biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration by Dalbergia sissoo raised on coal mine overburden of Singrauli, M.P adopting non harvest technique. Over burden plantations of different years raised at different project sites of NCL Singrauli were taken for estimating the standing volumes and consequently biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration at different diameter and height of trees. The growth data was collected for 248 trees (above 4 cm DBH) covering the over burden plantations of Amlohri, Nigahi, Bina, Kakari and Khadia Open Cast Projects (OCP). The age of plantation varied from 2 to 19 years. The trees were selected in plantations of all available ages representing different diameters and height. The correlation between basal area vs volume, DBH vs volume and basal area vs total biomass was found to be significant. On the basis of results obtained, the Dalbergia sissoo proved as an efficient species pertaining to biomass and carbon accumulation, owing to high energy conversion efficiency.