Biomass and Carbon in a Seasonal Semideciduous Forest in Minas Gerais

Abstract

ABSTRACT The objective of the present study was to quantify the biomass and carbon stock in a Seasonal Semideciduous Forest remnant in southern Minas Gerais. Forest inventory data taken between 2010 and 2013 in permanent plots, was used to estimate biomass with an allometric equation. Basic wood density (Db) and carbon content were determined in the laboratory and the carbon stock was obtained by multiplying biomass by carbon content. The species with the lowest and highest Db were Nectandra lanceolata (0.38 g cm-3) and Machaerium villosum (0.77 g cm-3). The species that showed the lowest and highest carbon content values were Casearia decandra (41.85%) and Nectandra oppositifolia (46.57%). The biomass stock for the area was 126.92 ± 0.09 t ha-1, which corresponded to 55.91 ± 0.05 t ha -1 of carbon stock and a periodic annual increment of 3.07 t ha-1 year -1.

Keywords

• carbon content
• carbon stock
• carbon increment
• natural forests