Quantity of Carbon Sequestration in Dailong Biodiversity Heritage Site
– Part 2 -

Kh Hitler Singh *

The data collected are analyzed to find out the total standing Biomass above the ground level. The total volume of standing trees is 98.9365 cum per 0.21 Ha. Thus by simple extrapolation of this result all over the area of 1125 ha of Dailong Biodiversity Heritage site the total standing tree volume is worked out to 530016.9643 cum.

The dominant trees species found are as follows.
Sl. No Name of the Trees (Local Name)
1 Usoi; Scientific Name-Schimawalichii; Quantity-66
2 Ucham; Quantity-45
3 Thaangji; Scientific Name-Castanopsishystrix; Quantity-16
4 Thingring; Quantity-13
5 U-Thangjing; Quantity-11

6 Ngudai; Quantity-9
7 Thangring; Quantity-6
8 Pareng; Scientific Name-Alnusnepalensis; Quantity-6
9 Thangbang (in Rongmei); Quantity-5
10 Leihao; Scientific Name-Micheliachampaca; Quantity-4

11 Uyung; Scientific Name-QuercusSerratus; Quantity-4
12 Pheng; Quantity-3
13 Uningthou (Gousiang); Scientific Name-Phoebe hainesiana; Quantity-3
14 Uningthoumanbi; Scientific Name- Machilus- bombycina; Quantity-3
15 Rengu; Quantity-3

16 Chorphon; Scientific Name- Elaecarpus floribundus; Quantity-2
17 Tagoi; Quantity-2
18 Thingkangleina, Quantity-2
19 Lang-ngam, Quantity-1
20 Wild varnish tree (Heimang); Scientific Name- Rhussemialata; Quantity-1

21 Thangji Anganbi; Scientific Name- Castanopsishystrix; Quantity-1
22 Paship; Quantity-1
23 Tairen; Scientific Name-Toonaciliata; Quantity-1
Total 208

The total carbon sequestrated is worked out with the following formula.
C(I) = C(AGB) + C(BGB) + C (DWB)+C(L) +C(S)

Where C(I) is total Carbon C(AGB) = Quantity of C in above-ground biomass C(BGB) = Quantity of C in below-ground biomass C(DWB) = Quantity of C in dead wood biomass C(L) = Quantity of C in litter biomass C(S) = Quantity of C in in soil up to 30 cm depth

Estimation of Carbon in Above Ground Biomass C(AGB):- To estimate the above ground carbon stocks, volume-based approach has been adopted and calculated as below. C(AGB)= GS (AGB) x BCEF x CF; Where GS (AGB) is volume of growing stock of Dailong Forest, BCEFs is Biomass Conversion and Expansion Factor for conversion of growing stock to to total above –ground biomass and this conversion factor is 0.8 {Table 4.5. Volume 4, IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Guideline 2006}& CF is carbon density factor (country CF of 0.4524 adopted from Chhabra& Dadhwal 2004).

C (AGB)=GS (AGB) x BCEF x CF= 530016.9643 cum x 0.8 x 0.4524 = 424013.5714 x 0.8 x 0.4524 MT Carbon.(*1 cum wood in volume H”0.80 MT in mass) = 153458.9917 MT Carbon.

The equation for estimation of Carbon in Below Ground Biomass C(BGB) is given below
C(BGB)= GS(AGB) x CF;
Where GS(BGB) = 0.26 x GS(AGB)

And BGB to AGB ratio factor of 0.26 is used; Cains et al. (1997) arrived at a mean of 0.26 with a range of 0.18-0.30 on the basis of 160 studies from tropical, temperate and boreal forests. It may be practical to use mean value of 0.26 for arriving at root biomass (Ravindranath& Ostwald, 2008)

C(BGB) = GS(AGB) x CF = 530016.9643 cum x 0.26 = 424013.5714 x 0.26 MT Carbon(*1 cum wood in volume H”0.80 MT in mass)=110243.5286 MT Carbon Estimation of Carbon in Dead Wood Biomass C (DWB): Carbon in dead wood biomass has been calculated by using the following formula (Sahu et al. 2015)

C(DWB)= 0.11 x {C(AGB) +C(BGB)} where 0.11 is IPCC default factor for tropical forests.

Hence C(DWB) = 0.11 x {C(AGB) +C(BGB)} = 0.11 x (153458.9917 + 110243.5286) MT Carbon = 29007.2772 MT Carbon.

Estimation of Carbon in litter Biomass (CL)

Default value of 0.3.271 MT C/Ha (Chhabra &Dadhwal, 2004) is the country specific information for Carbon in leaf litter biomass.
CL = 3.271 x 1125 MT C =3679.875 MT C
Estimation of Carbon Stock density of Soil organic carbon (CS)

Average soil carbon in top 30 cm (T/Ha) for tropical semi evergreen forests is 171.75 T/ha for tropical moist deciduous forests 57.14 T/ha for tropical dry deciduous forests is 57.99 T/ha and for plantations the value is 44.00 T/ha (Ravin-dranath et al. 1997). These default values will be used accordingly as Carbon stock density of soil organic for the Dailong Forest type.

CS = 57.14 x 1125 MT Carbon =64282.50 MT Carbon
Hence the total Carbon sequestrated in Dailong Biodiversity Heritage Site is given as below;
C(I)=153458.9917 + 110243.5286 + 29007.2772 + 3679.875 + 64282.50 MT Carbon=360672.1725 MT Carbon

Carbon Trading: COP3-Kyoto Protocol Climate Conference (Conference of Parties III) held in Japan 1997 had agreed by the most of participating parties to an overall reduction of emission of Greenhouse gases to 5.2% below 1990 levels for the period 2008-2012. It is generally agreed fact that the industrialized Nations have the responsibilities to bear the cost ofmitigation of the emission of Greenhouse gases.

India had ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. USA never ratified it and Canada had withdrawn in 2012. The Global Carbon Trading price is on the surge and it is now about $ 43.99 per MT Carbon.

Thus the Value of Carbon Sequestrated in Dailong Biodiversity Site is estimated to $ 43.99x 360672.1725=$15865968.87H” Rs 118,99,47,665.00 (Rupees One hundred eighteen crore ninety nine lakh forty seven thousand six hundred sixty five) only. This value is less the value of Oxygen it release and other ecosystem services which are not yet estimated.

Similarly many villages of Tamenglong, Tousem and Tamei Sub-Divison are the Carbon sink of huge Quantity. It is imperative to maintain these old & mature Forest as a feasible tool to combat Climate Change Globally.


(The article is intended for general awareness and for academic purpose. The views and comments are writer’s own; not necessarily that of Forest Department, Government of Manipur. The writer would like to thank Shri Armstrong Pame IAS and Shri Praveen Kumar Nigam IFS, DFO/Tamenglong for their kind suggestion and support. Any suggestion and further views are cordially invited and can be communicated to kharibamhitlersingh028 @gmail.com .)

Concluded ...