Determination of Carbon Concentration of Tree Components for Stone Pine Forests in the Marmara Region

Abstract

In accordance with the Kyoto Protocol, countries prepare their national inventory reports (NIR) every year and present it to United Nations Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These statements are based on AFOLU Guideline (IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use). However, countries are required to produce parameters special to their own tree species in order to make more precise statements. The aim of this study was to determine to calculate both the carbon concentration of various components (needle, wood, bark, and root) of natural stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) and the weighted carbon concentration of above ground and total tree biomass. The study was conducted in natural stone pine forests in Marmara Region of Turkey. Samples were collected in 10 sampling plots that were at mature stage (dbh=20.0-51.9 cm) and had different site characteristics. Site characteristics of the sample plots were determined. Then, needle, wood, bark, and root samples were collected from 3 trees representing the top height in each sampling plot. Carbon analysis on plant samples collected from the sampling plots (10 plots × 3 replications × 4 components = 120 samples) was carried out in the laboratory. The obtained data were evaluated by using analysis of variance and Duncan test. Statistically significant differences were found between carbon concentrations of tree components (P<0.001). The lowest carbon concentrations were in needle (51.65%) and in roots (51.67%), while the highest carbon concentration was in wood (54.74 %) and in barks (54.93%). The weighted carbon concentration for natural stone pine forests were found to be 54.56% and 54.07% for the above-ground biomass and for the total tree biomass, respectively. The carbon concentrations found in this study can be used to calculate the carbon stocks stored in both trees and different components of trees in natural stone pine forests.