ESTIMATION OF CARBON STOCKS IN COFFEE BASED AGROFORESTRY AND ADJACENT CUPRESSUS LUSITANICA PLANTATION AT WONDO GENET COLLEGE, SOUTHEAST ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to estimate biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in coffee based Agroforestry and Cupressus lusitanica plantation. A total of 20 plots of 10 m x 10 m were established systematically in coffee based Agroforestry and Cupressus lusitanica plantation to sample soil and vegetation data. The biomass of shade tree, coffee shrubs and Cupressus lusitanica was estimated by previous allometric equations.Variation in biomass carbon and SOC between the two land use types were tested using analysis of variance. The average amount of biomass carbon stored in coffee based Agroforestry was 109.96 Mg C ha-1. The proportion of total aboveground biomass carbon to the total biomass carbon stock was averaged 61.67% for coffee based Agroforestry.The average total biomass carbon was 74.24 Mg C ha-1 in Cupressus lusitanica plantation. Coffee based Agroforestry had accounted more SOC than Cupressus lusitanica plantation in 0-40 cm soil depth. Our study concluded that coffee based Agroforestry, compared with Cupressus lusitanica plantation, had generally higher biomass carbon and SOC stocks.

Keywords

• aboveground biomass
• shade trees
• soil organic carbon