Carbon stocks and sequestration potential of community forests in Bhutan

• DOI: 10.1016/j.tfp.2024.100530
• Publication Date: 2024-03-02T16:56:44Z
• Authors: Sigyel Delma; Don Gilmour; Liz Sousa Ota; Katherine Warner; Karma Jigme Temphel; John Herbohn
• Keywords: Deforestation; Basal area; Forest Inventory

Community Forestry (CF) is recognized globally as a forest management regime with the potential to address deforestation and degradation, provide goods services local communities contribute climate change mitigation. Around 4% of Bhutan's forests are currently under CF these essential for communities. However, in Bhutan mitigation not well understood has been researched. In this study, we estimated carbon stock sequestration community by using data from 2015 National Forest Inventory (NFI). The total biomass was 130.3 Mg ha−1 (107.3–153.2) soil organic 52.8 (30.4–75.1). Carbon 0.7 yr⁻¹. Other attributes: basal area, stem density tree height, were also determined assess condition increase sequestration. values non-community (all other forests) similar those reported Resource Assessment NFI Nepal Indian Himalayan states respectively. Disaggregation 38 research studies across region indicated that significantly lower than well-stocked (non-degraded) Himalayas. It much Management Units, which used an indicator upper limit environment. Similarly, mean height countries. Government exploring generate revenue sale sequestered its forests. This study confirms there improving existing Currently, 107,866 ha store about 19 million carbon. With improved Groups, have institutional capacity control outcomes, could likely be doubled (to 40 carbon), thereby demonstrating play important role mitigation, while jeopardizing provision day-to-day