Authors:Tolulope Victor Borisade, Nelson Obinna Uwalaka, Abdulfatai Babatunde Rufai, Anthony Ifechukwude Odiwe, Geraldo Alves Damasceno-Junior
Abstract:There are few investigations on the potentials of bamboos in carbon storage and as carbon sink in African tropical rainforests, especially in Nigeria where there are no baseline data on this subject. The study assessed carbon stock of ~ 60 years old B. vulgaris stands in a regenerating secondary forest in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Destructive method was employed to assess aboveground biomass and for its carbon stored. Results showed that mean aboveground biomass was 257.82 t ha-1 with culm (210.75 t ha-1 ) significantly higher than twigs (35.59 t ha-1 ) and leaves (11.47 t ha-1 ). The mean carbon stored was 237.94 t C ha-1 of which 138.70 t C ha-1were stored in the aboveground biomass; 32.72 t C ha-1 in the belowground biomass and 66.52 t C ha-1 in the soil. It sequestered ~32.22 t C ha-1 yr-1 and stored carbon higher than some dominant tree species in the secondary forest, some Agroforestry system in Africa and most bamboo species in tropical and subtropical countries. Bamboo plantation should be considered in coastal regions to check the effect of climate change.
Keywords:Aboveground biomass; Belowground biomass; Carbon stock; Regression equation