An Assessment Of The Carbon Stocks Of Melaleuca Forests In The Lower U Minh National Park In Ca Mau Province Of Southern Vietnam

Abstract

Climate change is caused by the increase of greenhouse gases, of which the increase in CO2 is one of the important factors. Therefore, studying the CO2 absorption capacity of forests through the accumulation of carbon in biomass is essential. Quantification of M. cajuputiforest biomass in the Lower U Minh National Park was conducted to estimate the carbon storage capacity of M. cajuputi forest. Data were collected in 45 plots measurement cells in natural and plantation forests. The results showed that the average density, height, and diameter respectively were: 528.65tree/ha, 14.73m±3.01m, 17.17cm±7.05cm for natural M. cajuputiforest and 6,285.71tree/ha, 11.45m±2.25m, 9.01cm±2.14cm for plantation forest. At the same time, analysis of 64 standard Melaleuca trees to establish 4 equations relating biomass and stem diameter (DBH 1,3) of M. cajuputi trees above ground and below ground using the form of y = axb and all four equations have correlative coefficients R2> 0.95. The average green biomass of the M. cajuputipopulations in natural forests was 113.65tons/ha and the dry biomass was 68.52tons/ha. The green biomass of plantation forest was 274.36tons/ha and dry biomass were 179.16tons/ha. Dry biomass ratio per green biomass of natural forest is K = 0.60; for plantation forest is K = 0.65. The average carbon content of M. cajuputiforests is 56.18tons/ha. The total amount of CO2 storage of M.cajuputi forests is 206.18tons/ha. The amount of carbon accumulated in M. cajuputipopulation of the National Park was 518,535.76tons, equivalent to 1,902,665.08tons of CO2.