Carbon Sequestration Potential of Indian Forestry Land Use Systems

background

The paper presents an overview of studies done on the carbon sequestration potential of varied forestry land use systems in India at regional, country, and site-specific levels.

research goals & methods

Pressure on India’s forests continues to be very high from both people dependent on forests for livelihood and from increasing demands on forests for infrastructure and industrial development. The variation in biomass and soil organic carbon content in different forestry systems studied can be linked to species, temperature, soil type, biotic pressure, and management practices. Rigorous carbon monitoring requires the national prioritization of periodic carbon assessment using uniform methodology.

conclusions & takeaways

The authors recommend increasing carbon sequestration by planting under-stocked forests and promoting optimum utilization of over-stocked forests with due consideration to the needs of people. Techniques may include enrichment planting, increased length of rotation period, shifting to fast growing tree species, modifying thinning practices, and implementing measures aimed at increasing the C pool in the organic matter of forest soils.