Challenges in agroforestry mapping for carbon sequestration through remote sensing and CO2 Fix model in Guna district

Abstract

Global warming is becoming a huge problem for our mother earth due to carbon emission in the wake of modernization and urbanization. Carbon sequestration is a phenomenon for the storage of CO2 or other forms of carbon to mitigate global warming. Remote sensing becomes an effective tool for mapping and monitoring of agriculture, forestry and other earth features. Agroforestry mapping is an important parameter for developmental planning at regional and national level. The present study aims at estimating area and carbon sequestration potential under agroforestry in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh. RS-2/ LISS-III remote sensing data was used to identify agroforestry, forest/ non-forest land uses and land covers. It was estimated that about 3.55 percent of the district area under agroforestry. Dynamic CO2FIX model v3.1 was used to assess the baseline (2011) carbon and to estimate carbon sequestration potential (CSP) of agroforestry systems for a simulation period of 30 years in Guna district. The estimated numbers of trees existing on farmer’s field was 6.40 per hectare. The baseline standing biomass in the tree components was 3.99 Mg DM ha^-1 and the total biomass (tree + crop) was 9.55 Mg DM ha^-1 in the district. The CSP of existing agroforestry systems for simulation period of thirty years was estimated to the tune of 0.159 Mg C ha^-1 yr^-1.