Revista Cubana de Ciencias Forestales (Apr 2022)
Evaluation of aerial biomass accumulation and ecological sustainability in Amazonian forests: a case study of the Cotococha community
Abstract
Amazonian tropical forests have an enormous variety of species and are recognized for their great biodiversity and carbon sequestration, but they are threatened by anthropogenic pressure from land use change. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the accumulated aerial biomass and ecological sustainability of an Amazonian forest in the Cotococha community. Five 0.1 ha transects (10 x 100 m) separated at 100 m intervals were established and all tree species were recorded with D1.30 ≥10 cm. Ecological indicators were evaluated based on vegetation, soil, biodiversity and productivity. Aerial biomass was estimated using allometric equations and the biomass importance value index (BIVF) was determined. The families Melastomataceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Salicaceae presented the highest number of species. The distribution of diameter classes showed an inverted J trend. The ecological su stainability diagnosis showed that not all indicators reach the sustainability threshold. An area biomass of 78.67 ± 5.87 Mg ha-1 and a carbon stock of 39.33 ± 2.34 Mg ha-1 were reported. The three families with the highest BIVF were Melastomataceae with 38.43, Annonaceae with 24.36 and Meliaceae with 22.69 These families could be recommended for restoration programs within the community, due to their high potential to accumulate aerial biomass and carbon stock, contributing to a management that allows them to improve and reach the threshold of sustainability in all ecological indicators.
