| This research was aimed to estimate the carbon stocks of above-and below-ground biomass in Lesio-louna forest of Congo. The methodology of allometric equations was used to measure the carbon stock of Lesio-louna natural forest. We are based precisely on the model Ⅱ which is also called non-destructive method or indirect method of measuring carbon stocks. While there has been use of parameters such as the diameter at breast height (DBH) and wood density. To estimate the carbon stock of the above-and below-ground biomass in Lesio-louna forest, we used also the allometric equations. The research was done with22circular plots each1256m2. In the22plots studied,19plots are in the gallery forest and three plots in the secondary forest. Also,22circular plots were distributed in5sites studies of Lesio-louna forest, including: Inkou forest island, Iboubikro, Ngoyili, Blue Lake and Ngambali. In5sites,4sites were in gallery forest (Iboubikro, Ngoyili, Blue Lake and Ngambali) and one site in secondary forest (Inkou Forest Island). So, there are two forest types (secondary forest and gallery forest) in this Teke Trays of Lesio-louna in Republic of Congo. However, in the22plots, we made measurements on a total of347trees with197trees for the class of10-30cm diameter,131trees for the class of30-60cm diameter and19trees in the diameter class>60cm. The results show that in the whole forest, the average carbon stock for the22plots of the study was168.601t C/ha for AGB, or81%and39.551t C/ha for BGB, or19%. The total carbon stock in all the biomass was3709.23t C for AGB, which was3.395365E-6Gt C and870.13t C for BGB, which was9.09689934E-7Gt C. The total carbon stock in the study area (above-ground biomass and below-ground biomass) was4579.36t C. In this forest, the carbon stock is more important in AGB compared to BGB with respectively3395.365t C against909.689934t C. The plot10(AGB=363.899t C/ha and BGB=85.516t C/ha) is the most dominant in terms of carbon quantification in this forest ecosystem. Also, the carbon stocks of the plot16(AGB=51.012t C/ha and BGB=10.457t C/ha) was lower compared to others plots in study area. The test comparison of means between plots revealed that a significant difference was129.05t C/ha. Plot10is the most dominant in terms of carbon stocks in the study area. Thus, the carbon stock of the plot16was low more than others plots in the study area. The potential of carbon stocks capacity in different forest types of Lesio-louna may help the developing African nations to earn carbon credits, reduce deforestation, eliminate poverty and in long run to ensure the sustainable forest management. Given the significant differences in carbon stock, Lesio-louna forest could play an important role in carbon sequestration and thus could provide a carbon sink in all Teke trays, and also in the whole basin forest of Central Africa (Congo Basin). Thus, knowing the carbon stock of Lesio-louna forest was important to contribute to the sustainable management of this forest ecosystem to support the REDD+process. Also, the growth of the forest to savanna is remarkable in Lesio-louna, because several species of bush land are found in the forest edge and even in the plain forest.The results of this study indicate that, the forests in the study area are an important reservoir of carbon, and they can also play a key role in mitigating climate change. Thus, Lesio-louna forests have the capacity to trap vast amounts of carbon which would otherwise escape into the atmosphere as CO2, one of the worst greenhouse gases offenders. |
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