Current World Environment

Tree Biomass and Carbon Stock Variations between Riparian and Terrestrial Forests in Central Himalaya

Kavita Joshi ^* , Deepa Rana and Jeet Ram

¹ Department of Forestry, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University Nainital, Uttarakhand India

Corresponding author Email: kavitajoshi0310@gmail.com

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.20.2.23

Abstract

Riparian and terrestrial forests are vital components of tropical ecosystems, playing a key role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. This study assessed and compared tree biomass and carbon stock between riparian and adjacent terrestrial forests along the Sharda River in the Central Himalaya to understand structural and functional differences. Field surveys were conducted during 2023–2024 across three sites in each forest type using ten randomly placed 10 × 10 m quadrats per site. Vegetation parameters—frequency, abundance, density, and Importance Value Index (IVI)—were calculated utilizing standard ecological approaches. Tree basal area was derived from circumference at breast height (CBH), and biomass was estimated non-destructively for trees with CBH > 30 cm using species-specific and generalized allometric equations. Results showed higher tree density (350 ± 34.64 ind/ha), basal area (13.99 ± 0.51 m²/ha), species diversity (2.47 ± 0.11), biomass (95.81 ± 65.58 Mg/ha), and carbon stock (45.51 ± 3.13 Mg C/ha) in terrestrial forests compared to riparian forests. Riparian forests had 286.66 ± 50.33 ind/ha density, 6.31 ± 2.71 m²/ha basal area, 2.14 ± 0.06 diversity, 53.5 ± 25.14 Mg/ha biomass, and 23.79 ± 13.05 Mg C/ha carbon stock. These variations reflect differences in species composition and disturbance regimes. The findings offer valuable insights into the carbon dynamics of underexplored Himalayan riparian ecosystems, highlighting their importance in climate change mitigation and conservation planning.

Keywords

Biodiversity; Biomass; Climate change; Riparian Forest; Sharda River

Copy the following to cite this article:

Joshi K, Rana D, Ram J. Tree Biomass and Carbon Stock Variations between Riparian and Terrestrial Forests in Central Himalaya. Curr World Environ 2025;20(2). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.20.2.23

Copy the following to cite this URL:

Joshi K, Rana D, Ram J. Tree Biomass and Carbon Stock Variations between Riparian and Terrestrial Forests in Central Himalaya. Curr World Environ 2025;20(2).

[ HTML Full Text ]