TITLE:
First Quantitative Estimates of Carbon Retention by Citrus Groves under Cuba’s Conditions
AUTHORS:
Mayda Betancourt, Nelvin Reyes, Dalia Vázquez, Miguel D. Dufoo, María E. García, Arnaldo Álvarez
KEYWORDS:
Carbon Retention, Citrus, Allometric Methods, Climate Change
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Climate Change,
Vol.3 No.2,
June
20,
2014
ABSTRACT: Citrus is
one of the major fruit crops in Cuba. Its perennial nature, the planted area
and the time of productive exploitation turn it into a potential sink of
atmospheric carbon. The present study was focused on the obtainment of two
models that allow the quantitative estimation of carbon retention by citrus
groves. The research was done in two commercial groves: orange [Citrus
sinensis (L) Osbeck] cv. “Valencia
Late” and grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) cv. “Marsh Seedless” both on sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) and planted on a typical red ferralitic soil
of Artemisa province. Groves are located at 22°55' North and 82°40' West.
Cuba’s climate is tropical, seasonally humid, with sea influence and semicontinentality
features. Three issues were dealt with: 1) Determination of the total mean
quantity of retained carbon by the aerial part of the trees using a destructive
sampling method (Pattern Method) to estimate: the total volume of the tree,
wood densities and green and dry biomass; 2) Determination of the total mean
quantity of retained carbon by the aerial part of the trees using two
Allometric Methods; and 3) Determination of the most effective Allometric
Method to estimate the carbon retention by the aerial part of the trees. From
the results, it is concluded that the evaluated methods were effective to reach
a first quantitative approximation to carbon retention by citrus groves and
under equal conditions, the Allometric Method 2 was more accurate to estimate
the Total Carbon Content in “Valencia Late” orange, while for “Marsh Seedless”
grapefruit the Allometric Method 1 provided the best estimate.