Bamboo diversity and carbon stocks of dominant species in different agro-ecological zones in Cameroon

Abstract

Bamboo is of ecological and socioeconomic importance in the world. However, knowledge on its potential in climate change mitigation remains superficial in Cameroon. The present study identified bamboo diversity and estimated carbon stocks of the dominant species in Cameroon. Ground truth method and local informants were used for a bamboo species survey in five Agro-ecological zones (AEZs). Twenty-two circular plots of 100 m² each were utilized for biomass and density data collection in AEZ 2, AEZ 3 and AEZ 4. Destructive method was used to collect 5% of culms per plot sampled for bamboo biomass estimation. Culm density and carbon stocks for each bamboo species were extrapolated to hectares. A total of 8 bamboo species were recorded in the inventory. Three dominant bamboo species were identified (Bambusa vulgaris, Oxytenanthera abyssinica and Phyllostachys aurea) in different AEZs. For the three dominant bamboo species, biomass of culm was greater (76-84%), than those of branches (13-19%) and leaves (4-9%). Culm density varied significantly across the different bamboo species, that is, 2296, 4374 and 38017 culm/ha respectively for B. vulgaris, O. abyssinica and P. aurea. Carbon stocks varied from 13.13 tC ha-1 (O. abyssinica); 29.62 tC ha-1 (B. vulgaris) and 67.78 tC ha-1 (P. aurea), with significant variations (P< 0.05) across the different bamboo species. The fast growth rate of bamboo underpins its potential for climate change mitigation and could influence decisions and strategy for the fight against climate change in Cameroon.

Assessment of aboveground, belowground, and total biomass carbon storage potential of Bambusa vulgaris in a tropical moist forest in Ghana, West Africa

“…The bamboo clumps in compartment 69 had notable truncated shoots showing evidence of destructive sampling of culms from past research. Comparatively, the culm density of 3710 culms ha À1 for this study is higher than culm densities of 2296 and 2933 culms ha À1 reported for B. vulgaris from Cameroon [17] and Bangladesh [18] respectively, but lower than 4800 culms ha À1 reported in North-East India [33]. The variations in culm densities could emanate from the different silvicultural management practices in other countries.…”

“…It is important to note that accuracy of biomass estimation improves as the number of field samples increases [35]. The aboveground biomass recorded in this study greatly differs from aboveground biomass values of 53.42 Mg ha À1 [36] and 63.02 t ha À1 [17] recorded for B. vulgaris in a school research farm in India and a closed tropical broad-leaved rainforest in Cameroon, respectively. The wide variations may be attributed to the ecological zone, the method of inventory, and the allometric models used for biomass estimation.…”

“…The carbon stock of B. vulgaris found in the study (42.85 ± 9.32 Mg C ha À1 ) showed a wide variation with carbon stock values reported for the same species in Nigeria, 138.7 Mg C ha À1 [23] and Cameroon, 29.62 t C ha À1 [17].…”

“…Therefore, this study aims to estimate the biomass carbon storage of Bambusa vulgaris natural stands in the Bobiri Forest Reserve, including aboveground and belowground biomass, coarse woody debris, and litter. To the best of our knowledge from existing literature, no prior research has been conducted on assessing the amount of carbon stored in the biomass of Bambusa vulgaris, taking into account litter and coarse woody debris [15,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. This study will be the first of its kind, and the outcomes of this research will be instrumental in quantifying the quantity of CO 2 that Bambusa vulgaris can capture from the atmosphere.…”

Assessment of the Effects of Organic Manure Amendment of Watershed Soils in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Campus

“…Such efforts are vital for maintaining the health of watersheds and the ecosystems they support. The loss or alteration of key species can have farreaching consequences, impacting not only the ecosystem but also the communities and plant species like Telfairia occidentalis that rely on these water bodies for sustenance and recreation (Martin et al, 2020).…”