Vol.06. Nos.3 - 4 (2007) pp.183-191
Title:

Culm dynamics, carbon sequestration and potential for electrical energy from Dendrocalamus strictus Nees plantation in South-eastern Bihar, India

Authors:Jha, R.K; Das, D.K

Abstract:Out of many fonns of renewable energy, bio-energy could solve the village energy needs through distributed generation to a great extent. An attempt is made to analyse carbon capture and carbon credit generation from bamboo plantations. The total energy stored as biomass by a 5-year-old plantation of Dendrocalamus strictus was 2.375 TJ ha-I and that by 7-year-old plantation was 3.579 TJ ha·l. Energy capture efficiency for the above-ground and total clump vegetation after 5 and 7 years was 1.32 per cent, 1.41 per cent, 1.74 per cent and 1.87 per cent respectively. The total carbon storage in standing biomass of 5-year-old and 7-years-old bamboo plantations varied from 56.75 to 84.51 Mg ha·l, of which 48 per cent was distributed in stem, 14 per cent in branches and 25 per cent in below-ground biomass. The total biomass was 118.23 Mg ha·1 in the 5-year-old and 176.31 Mg ha-I in the 7-year-old plantations. The number of culms produced per clump varied from 58 to 88. The recruitment to culm population varied between 20 and 21 per cent and shoot mortality between 4 and 5 per cent per year. Net accumulation of green culms between 41h and 51h year was 2,160, and between 6th and 71h year 3477 ha-I• Energy stored in biomass of 5-year-old culms from 9,283 ha, or biomass of 7-year-old culms from 6,253 ha is sufficient to operate a 50 MW generating station for one year. Total energy production in 5and 7-year-old culms from 1 ha of D. strictus is sufficient to meet energy needs (in tenns of electrical energy) of an average household of Bihar, India for 21.5 and 31.3 years respectively

Keywords:bioenergy; biomass; branches; carbon; carbon sequest

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