Tree Biomass, Carbon Inventory and Annual Carbon Sequestration Potential of Different Tree Species in a Coastal District of West Bengal, India
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Authors
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SUSHIL KUMAR KOTHARI
The Neotia University, Sarisa, Diamond Harbour, 24 Parganas (South) - 743 368, West Bengal, India
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BISWAJIT GHOSH
The Neotia University, Sarisa, Diamond Harbour, 24 Parganas (South) - 743 368, West Bengal, India
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SUBHASH CHANDRA GHOSH
The Neotia University, Sarisa, Diamond Harbour, 24 Parganas (South) - 743 368, West Bengal, India
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DEBOLINA SARKAR
The Neotia University, Sarisa, Diamond Harbour, 24 Parganas (South) - 743 368, West Bengal, India
Keywords:
"Carbon stock", "CO2 sequestration", "Coastal West Bengal", "Non-destructive method", "Tree biomass"Abstract
A study was conducted to assess tree biomass, carbon stock and annual carbon sequestration potential of avenue and plantation tree species in a coastal district of West Bengal, India, using a non-destructive allometric approach. The investigation was carried out within an institutional landscape located in South 24 Parganas district (22.259694°-22.267877° N latitude and 88.195386°-88.198760° E longitude), covering an area of 16 ha. A total of 1,052 trees belonging to 86 species, with ages ranging from 6 to 34 years, were inventoried and analysed for above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, carbon stock and CO2 sequestration. The total above-ground and below-ground biomass of the inventoried trees was estimated at 760.55 t and 152.11 t, respectively, resulting in a total carbon stock of 212.66 t. The cumulative CO2 sequestration was estimated to be 779.60 t, with an annual sequestration rate of 34.36 t CO2 yr-1, equivalent to 2.15 t CO2 ha-1 yr-1. Among individual species, Ceiba pentandra exhibited the highest average annual CO2 sequestration per tree (2.98 t tree-1 yr-1), whereas Cascabela thevetia showed the lowest sequestration potential (0.03 t tree-1 yr-1 ). At the species population level, Roystonea regia contributed the maximum share of total CO2 sequestration, followed by Delonix regia, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Neolamarckia cadamba and Spathodea campanulata. The findings highlight the significant role of mixed plantations in carbon storage and sequestration within coastal institutional and peri-urban landscapes. Species-wise carbon sequestration estimates generated in this study can support informed tree selection and landscape planning strategies aimed at climate change mitigation in coastal regions of eastern India.
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Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study, including tree species inventory, measurements of girth and height, biomass estimates, and carbon sequestration calculations, are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Due to the inclusion of geolocation data and site-specific environmental variables, some data may be restricted to ensure site confidentiality.
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