Abstract

The main objective of this study was to assess the carbon stock of tree vegetation from the tropical forests of Bodamalai hills located in India. The tree carbon stock determined by non-destructive method was 10.94 ± 3.57 tC/ha, and it ranged from 3.53 tC/ha to 38.92 tC/ha for the ten 0.5 ha transects sampled. The tree species Albizia amara shared maximum carbon stock followed by Ficus benghalensis, Euphorbia antiquorum, Tamarindus indica and Strychnos potatorum. Statistical analysis revealed that the carbon stock (tC/ha) varied significantly (ANOVA: F=22.601, p<0.001) among the three forest types recognized, and the mixed-deciduous forest had high carbon stock 30.81 tC/ha. A significant variation in the distribution of carbon stock was observed between the four tree size classes recognized (F=3.384, p<0.01), and it was found maximum (58%) for the lower size class (30-90 cm girth at breast height). The carbon stock (tC/ha) of tree vegetation of Bodamalai falls within the range reported for other forests worldwide. The influence of factors such as altitudinal gradient, tree density and species richness on the carbon stock of tree vegetation was also discussed in this paper.

Keywords: Bodamalai hills; Carbon stock; India; Tree vegetation, Tropical forest