Carbon Stock Potential of Highland Bamboo (Yushania alpina) Over Plantation Niches of a Tropical Highland, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract The study analyzed the stand structure and carbon stock of the bamboo ( Yushania alpina ) over plantation niches of a tropical highland, Northwestern Ethiopia. Five sample plots (with a plot size of 10m*10m) in each of the niches (homestead, woodlot and riverbank) were selected randomly, and this was repeated in four different villages/sites for a total of sixty samples. Culm size (height and DBH), diameter (cm) and height (meter), density of clump (ha) and the number of the culms per clump, and age composition (year) were measured. The estimations of the above-ground and below-ground biomass were done based on allometric equation and root-to-shoot ratio of 1:5, respectively. For estimating the total carbon of the bamboo, the carbon fraction (0.47) was multiplied by the total biomass; and the total carbon was multiplied by 3.67 to estimate the carbon dioxide equivalent. A one-way ANOVA (P<0.05) was used to test whether group mean difference exists among the niches. The measured value of the culm diameter ranged from 5.1 ± 0.1cm – 6.1 ± 0.1cm. The lowest and highest values were observed in the riverbank and the homestead plantation niches, respectively. The homestead niche represents the highest value of culm density (27,945 ± 34 culms/ha), followed by the woodlot (22,775 ± 45 culms/ha) and the riverbank (20,375 ± 36 culms/ha) niches. The woodlot niche represents the highest value of clump stocking (1,885 ± 46 clumps/ha), followed by the riverbank (1,775 ± 27 clumps/ha) and the homestead (1,562 ± 11 clumps/ha) niches. The mean value of the total biomass, carbon storage and carbon equivalent capacity of the bamboo over the niches ranged from 85.4 ± 6 – 92.6 ± 6 t/ha, 40.1 ± 3 – 43.5 ± 2.9 t C/ha, and 147.3 ± 11– 159.7 ± 10 t CO 2 /ha, respectively. A significant group mean difference was observed among the bamboo plantation niches in all parameters for the presence of different purposes and management practices. The highest and the lowest values in all the parameters were observed in the homestead and the riverbank niches, respectively. The bamboo plantation needs to be adopted for land restoration and climate change mitigation.