CARBON STOCK CAPACITY OF PLANTATION FORESTS

Plantation Forests in Bangladesh

The large portions of natural forests in Bangladesh have already been significantly degraded and fragmented, leaving the country with only a small percentage of forest cover. Plantations have high annual carbon sequestration rates and establishing plantations on degraded land has been proposed as an effective carbon management approach. Through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), carbon management approach can be achieved by plantation program in developing countries such as Bangladesh. Developing countries are mostly affected by the consequences of the “global warming”. The global warming issue focuses on the increasing accumulation of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 in the atmosphere due to emissions caused by industrial activities and deforestation. Creating and maintaining carbon stocks in the tropical forests is an important response option for global warming in tropical developing countries such as Bangladesh. Among three plantations of 18-year old, the total (above- and below-ground) carbon stocks were found highest in Acacia auriculiformis (110.25 and 100.84 ton•ha−1, respectively), followed by Tectona grandis (91.28 and 80.33 ton•ha−1) and Anthocephalus chinensis (63.70 and 85.26 ton•ha−1) plantations. The capacity of plantations of Acacia auriculiformis, Anthocephalus chinensis and Tectona grandis to sequester atmospheric carbon and that reforestation makes a significant contribution to carbon sequestration and generating carbon credits in Bangladesh. The carbon stock of three plantation species indicates that Bangladesh has a capacity for carbon sequestration. To overcome the problem of global warming and climate change, sustainable forest management is the best way to achieve optimum carbon sequestration; and more easy, applicable and fast scientific methods are required to estimate the carbon stock in plantation forest.