Assessment of carbon stock potential of parkland agroforestry practice: the case of Minjar Shenkora; North Shewa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Background The anthropogenic global climate change has negative impacts on various sectors and communities who particularly rely on rain-fed agriculture. Parkland agroforestry practice can contribute to mitigate and adapt to the forthcoming climate change through carbon sequestration. However, empirical studies on carbon stocks potential of parklands agroforestry practices . Methodology By using two-stage stratified random sampling technique, 4 kebeles from two agro ecology were selected and 8 farms/plots/ of 40 m*40 m sample size were selected from each kebele for the vegetation inventory. Tree species-specific allometric equations were used to determine carbon stock potential of parkland agroforestry practice. Results The result reveal that, AGC, BGC, SOC and Total Carbon have significant variation (p < 0.05) across kebeles. The mean total carbon stock of Bolo Giorgis, Bolo Slase, Agirat and Korma Agere is 48.87 Mg C ha− 1, 58.21 Mg C ha− 1, 57.81 Mg C ha− 1and 73.71 Mg C ha− 1; respectively. On average, carbon stock of parklands practice in Minjar shenkora was 59.65 Mg C ha− 1. Conclusions The parkland agroforestry practice has a large potential to deliver regulating ecosystem services like opportunities to mitigate the impending climate-changing through carbon sequestration and increasing the resilience of the agricultural system at Minjar shenkora woreda. To enhance the multiple ecosystem services of the parkland agroforestry practices in sustainable way: local by-laws should be strengthened to avoid illegal tree cutting and free grazing.

Keywords

• Soil organic carbon
• Above-ground biomass carbon
• Below-ground biomass carbon