Mapping carbon stock using Geospatial data in tropical forest of Nepal

By Mbaabu Purity

Forests reduce impacts of climate change by sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere and storing carbon in their different parts which include above ground biomass, belowground biomass, forest understory and soil. This storage depends on forest ecosystem management, disturbances and climate variation among others. The impact of forest management activities on the ability of forests to sequester and store atmospheric carbon is of increasing scientific concern. A quantitative understanding of how forest management enhances carbon storage is lacking for most forest types because few studies have been conducted. Therefore, this study estimated and compared the above ground biomass (AGB)/carbon stock of two forest types under different forest management regimes. Very high resolution Geoeye satellite images and airborne LiDAR data were used for this study. Total AGB was estimated by allometric equation using DBH and tree height measured in the field. The average carbon stock was found to be 244 t C/ha and 140 t C/ha for community and government forest respectively. Based on the findings, the conclusion is that forest management significantly affects the carbon stock of a forest.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3659632635
• ISBN13: 9783659632631
• Release Date: January 2015
• Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"