Biomass and carbon accumulation potential towards climate change mitigation by young plantations of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. and Eucalyptus hybrid in Terai Central Himalaya, India

Carbon sequestration through forestry plantations has a huge potential in ameliorating global environmental problems such as atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide and related climate change. The present study analyzed biomass (dry weight/unit area) and carbon sequestration rates of young plantations of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.) and Eucalyptus hybrid in Terai region (a level area of superabundant water) of central Himalaya. Soil carbon was estimated up to 70 cm depth. The plantation of Dalbergia sissoo is seed sown and that of Eucalyptus hybrid is seedling planted 10 and 8 years old respectively. The density of trees in Eucalyptus hybrid plantation was 1825 ind ha -1 and that of Dalbergia sissoo was 1010 ind ha -1 . The total tree biomass for Dalbergia sissoo was 29.9 t ha -1 in 2009 which increased to 42.85 t ha -1 in 2010. In Eucalyptus hybrid the total forest vegetation biomass was 43.75 t ha -1 in 2009 which increased to 59.45 t ha -1 in 2010. The young Eucalyptus hybrid forest is sequestrating carbon at 7.89 tha -1 yr -1 and Dalbergia sissoo forest at 6.47 t ha -1 yr -1 .The soil carbon concentration in both forests were estimated up to 70 cm depth. Soil carbon percent in Dalbergia sissoo forest ranged between 0.50 to 2.66, and 0.46 to 1.85 in Eucalyptus hybrid forest. Distribution of vertical soil carbon percent in both forest plantations decreased with the soil depth in both the plantations.