TITLE:
Tree Allometry in Tropical Forest of Congo for Carbon Stocks Estimation in Above-Ground Biomass
AUTHORS:
Romeo Ekoungoulou, Xiaodong Liu, Jean Joël Loumeto, Suspense Averti Ifo, Yannick Enock Bocko, Fleury Edgard Koula, Shukui Niu
KEYWORDS:
Carbon Stock, Allometric Equations, Ngambali, Iboubikro, Above-Ground Biomass
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.4 No.5,
October
21,
2014
ABSTRACT: The research was aimed to
estimate the carbon stocks of above-ground biomass (AGB) in Lesiolouna forest
in Republic of Congo. The methodology of Allometric equations was used to
measure the carbon stock of Lesio-louna tropical rainforest. The research was
done with six circular plots each 40 m of diameter, with a distance of 100 m between
each plot, depending on the topography of the site of the installation of these
plots. The six studied plots are divided in
two sites, which are: Iboubikro and Ngambali. Thus, in the six plots,
there are three plots in Iboubikro site and three plots in Ngambali site. The
results of this study show that the average carbon stock of aboveground biomass
(AGB) in six plots was 170.673 t C ha-1. So, the average of carbon
stock of aboveground biomass (ABG) in Iboubikro site was 204.693 t C ha-1 and in the Ngambali site was 136.652 t C ha-1. In this forest
ecosystem, the high stock of carbon was obtained in Plot 3, which was in
Iboubikro site. Plot 3 contains 20 trees and an average DBH of 24.56 cm.
However, the lowest carbon stock was obtained in Plot 4, which was in Ngambali site.
Also, Plot 4 contains 11 trees and an average DBH of 31.86 cm. The results of
this research indicate that, the forests in the study area are an important carbon reservoir, and they can
also play a key role in mitigation of climate change.