International Journal of Biology and Biological Sciences Vol. 5(1), pp. 001-008, April 2019 ISSN 2327-3062 ©2019 Academe Research Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Sequestered carbon stocks in eight selected woody species of the Guinea Savanna ecosystem in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

T. Okoh¹; E.A. Edu² and J.K. Ebigwai²

¹Department of Botany, Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi, Nigeria.

²Department of Plant and Ecological Studies, University of Calabar, Nigeria.

Accepted 29 April, 2019

Abstract

Carbon sequestration potentials of eight selected trees (Prosopis africana, Parkia biglobosa, Daniella oliveri, Morinda lucida, Vitex doniana, Terminalia avecinioides, Sarcocephallus latifolius and Parinari curatellifolius) were investigated using a pan-tropical non-destructive allometric model (Y=Exp{-2.4090+0.9522In(D²xHxS)}) in Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria. Data on plant height (H), diameter at breast height (DBH) and wood density (S) were applied in the model to determine the above ground mass (Y) while % carbon in plant and soil were determined by Walkley-Black and loss on ignition methods respectively.  Mean AGB and BGB (Kg/tree) were highest in Prosopis africana, (3171.62 ± 2211.46 and 634.23±197.80) and lowest in Sarcocephallus latifolius (256.694±57.14 and 51.33±7.86). AGB increased significantly (p˂0.05, r = 0.8 and Y=80 * x + -1600) with DBH and plant height (p˂0.01, r = 0.7 and Y=320 * x); plant height also correlates positively with DBH (p˂0.01, r = 0.7 and Y=4 * x + 20), in all the species. TSC and SCO₂E (Tones/Tree) were highest in P. africana (1.24±0.39; 4.54±1.42) and least in S. latifolius (0.10±0.02; 0.37±0.06) respectively. % carbon in plant and soil varied significantly (p˂0.01) with species and depth. The species potentials in carbon sequestration are implicated in this study, hence their relevance in climate change mitigation and ecosystem stability.

Key words:  Carbon sequestration, climate change, guinea savanna, above ground biomass, below ground biomass, Prosopis africana, Parkia biglobosa, Daniella oliveri, Morinda lucida, Vitex doniana, Terminalia avecinioides, Sarcocephallus latifolius, Parinari curatellifolius