Carbon storage, flux and mitigation potential of tropical Sal mixed deciduous forest ecosystem in Chhattisgarh, India

Tropical forests are considered for greater species diversity and ensure climate change mitigation through carbon (C) sink which maintains terrestrial C storage in the world. Tree provides both tangible (timber, fuelwood, etc. For humans) and intangible benefits (as climate security through C sink) that maintains ecosystem processes. Tropical Sal forests are gaining popularity due to its remarkable contribution as C sink, storage, budget and flux. In the present study, an effort has been made to explore vegetational statistics along with C storage, budget and flux in four different site qualities (SQ) of Sal dominating tropical deciduous forest of Chhattisgarh, India. The density (individuals/ha) and basal area (m²/ha) varied from 710 to 1010 and 33.5-46.8 in tree, 2000-2500 and 0.32-0.33 in sapling and 9750-14500 and 17.96-21.43 in seedling, respectively in varying SQ. The total biomass varied from 182.27 to 375.84 t/ha in varying SQ. The total C in trees varied from 79.86 to 163.63 t ha^-1. Quantity of C in above ground and below ground portions in trees on different sites were 72.32-143.36 t/ha and 7.54-20.27 t/ha, respectively. Total aboveground tree C sequestration values ranged between 5.12 and 11.68 t C ha^-1yr^-1 on different SQ. The C storage and net fluxes were represented in compartment models to assess the various SQ. As per models, forest received 14.63, 10.81, 8.19 and 6.83 t/ha/yr of C input through net primary production (NPP) in SQ-I, SQ-II, SQ-III and SQ-IV, respectively which are depleted as 3.55, 3.12, 2.77 and 2.33 t/ha/yr as total C input in the soil. Moreover 1.77 (SQ-I), 1.60 (SQ-II), 1.46 (SQ-III) and 1.30 (SQ-IV) t ha^-1 yr^-1of C were transferred from foliage to litter compartment, respectively. These dynamics, budgeting and flux of C represents "how C stored and moved within an ecosystem". Similarly, it affects overall terrestrial C pools that is governed by varying SQ.