Biomass and Carbon Stock in a Tropical Semi Evergreen Forest at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas, India

Among the most important ecosystem services provided by forest ecosystems, carbon sequestration plays an important role in global climate mitigation. To understand the potential of biomass and carbon stock by trees in a tropical semi evergreen forest at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas, India, the study was conducted in the year 2021–2022 at Poba Reserve forest at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas, India which represents tropical semi evergreen forest type. The present study was carried out using random quadrat method and allometric formula. Altogether 63 species were recorded from the forest. Average DBH, total TBC and total density of the trees in the forest were 22.93 cm, 7.11 m² ha⁻¹ and 1016.70 stem ha⁻¹ respectively. Total AGB, total BGB, total TB, total TCS and total CO₂ eqv. of trees in the forest were 586.52 Mg ha⁻¹, 152.51 Mg ha⁻¹, 738.99 Mg ha⁻¹, 369.52.90 Mg C ha⁻¹ and 1356.07 Mg ha⁻¹ respectively. Biomass, TCS and CO₂ eqv. of the trees in the forest were higher than most of forests. Nevertheless, it is not totally prevented from illegal tree cutting, cattle herbivory, soil erosion etc. resulting into forest degradation and deforestation which in turn have a major impact on the forest carbon stock. The finding could be useful in understanding the potential of carbon storage and in making decisions about carbon stock management in tropical semi evergreen forests in Eastern Himalayas in particular and forests in general to ensure climate change mitigation.