Carbon Sequestration Potential of Urban Trees: A Case of Kolar Area in Bhopal City, India

• Published in: Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India). Series A, Civil, architectural, environmental and agricultural Engineering Civil, architectural, environmental and agricultural Engineering, 2022-06, Vol.103 (2), p.359-374
• Main Authors: Chaurasia, Shreya, Munoth, Navneet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomass; Carbon; Carbon content; Carbon dioxide; Carbon sequestration; Civil Engineering; Density; Engineering; Greenhouse gases; Nondestructive testing; Original Contribution; Trees; Urban areas; Urban environments
• ISSN: 2250-2149; 2250-2157
• DOI: 10.1007/s40030-022-00621-9

With higher targets for economic and social development, cities and urban areas are expanding and releasing higher amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, of which carbon dioxide has the highest percentage composition. In order to combat climate change, there is a need to capture carbon released through anthropogenic activities. The study was conducted in a ward of the rapidly growing Kolar area of Bhopal city which is the capital of Madhya Pradesh state of India. It quantifies total biomass and amount of carbon content in each urban tree species of the study area using the non-destructive biometric method comprising of diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, wood densities, and above-ground and below-ground biomass estimations through allometric equations. Sample of three plots of 25 hectares each was chosen based on density and diversity of urban trees and density of building footprints and the average of existing tree count were taken. Based on the highest level of carbon sequestered by the studied tree species, ward level interventions are proposed depending on tree count per hectare to reach an optimum level. The study and the recommendations will prove to be helpful in afforestation projects for urban landscapes and reducing the local area carbon dioxide equivalent concentrations. The integration of the same in the local action plans for each city of the country will have a big contribution in achieving the national targets for increasing carbon sinks in urban areas under National Mission for a Green India by 2030.