Desert Management

Desert Management

The Effect of Afforestation with Diverse Species on Carbon Sequestration in Semi-Arid Areas of Kurdistan Province (Case Study: Sanandaj)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hamed Joneidi 1
Mohammad Amani Soofi 2
Bahram gholinejad 3
1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran & Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
2 Graduated, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
10.22034/jdmal.2024.2041263.1482
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of afforestation with broadleaf, coniferous, and mixed species on carbon sequestration rates in 40-year-old afforested areas of the Sarnjianeh region, Sanandaj. The treatments included pure stands of Cupressus sempervirens and Fraxinus rotundifolia, as well as a mixed stand of F. rotundifolia and Robinia pseudoacacia. Soil samples (0–30 cm depth) were collected alongside measurements of aboveground, belowground, and litter biomass within the afforested stands and an adjacent rangeland. Carbon sequestration in the aboveground and belowground biomass, litter, and soil was quantified. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's test in SPSS software. Results revealed that afforestation significantly enhanced organic carbon storage compared to rangelands. The total organic carbon storage in the control rangeland was 49.05 tons ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹,
which was significantly lower than the afforested stands. The highest organic carbon storage was observed in the C. sempervirens stand, at 95.26 tons ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. No significant difference was detected between the mixed stand (81.61 tons ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and the F. rotundifolia stand (74.84 tons ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) regarding total organic carbon storage. The annual carbon sequestration rates per unit area were estimated at 1.11 tons ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the C. sempervirens stand, 0.82 tons ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the mixed stand, and 0.163 tons ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the F. rotundifolia stand. The findings demonstrate that mixed-species afforestation promotes greater carbon sequestration compared to monoculture stands of Fraxinus due to species diversity. Furthermore, the study highlights the varying carbon sequestration potentials of different tree species. Coniferous species, such as C. sempervirens, exhibit higher carbon sequestration rates than broadleaf species, making them more suitable for semi-arid regions like Kurdistan Province. However, given that some conifers are non-native, careful consideration of their ecological impacts is essential when incorporating them into afforestation projects.
Keywords
Desertification
Carbon sequestration
Tree species
Soil protection
Greenhouse gases

Subjects

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Desert Management
Volume 12, Issue 3 - Serial Number 31
6 Article
Autumn 2024
Pages 1-14

  • Receive Date 16 September 2024
  • Revise Date 15 October 2024
  • Accept Date 24 October 2024