Inventory of Vegetation and Assessment of Carbon Storage Capacity towards a Low Carbon Campus: a Case Study of Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia, Johor Malaysia

Abstract

Carbon dioxide, a vital greenhouse gas plays a key role in Earth's carbon cycle, a concentration above ambient temperature results in global warming. High CO 2 emission in Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia is due to an increase in a number of automobiles and other greenhouse gases released from building facilities and nearby industries. A study was carried out on 22 common trees planted within the campus on the estimated amount of CO 2 sequestered. Estimation of carbon storage of trees was obtained through the assessments of standing biomass as well measurement of their photosynthetic capacity. Results indicated that Spathodea campanulata has the highest CO 2 absorption (14.40 µmol/ m-2 /s-1) followed by Acacia mangium (14.03 µmol/m-2 /s-1), and Cananga odorata with (12.80 µmol m-2 s-1). Alstonia scholaris has the highest aboveground standing biomass accumulation of 106.94 kg, followed by Samanea saman (20.83 kg), and Acacia mangium (19.43 kg). The total biomass accumulated of all the tree species is 200.03 kg. Therefore, species of trees in Universiti Tun Husein Onn Malaysia main campus have the potential to absorb a significant amount of CO 2 from the atmosphere thereby contributing to mitigating-the localized effects of global warming.

Urban Forest Inventory for Carbon Reduction in a University City Campus

“…According to the World Bank (2010), and Chen and Chen (2012), 70-80% of standard global carbon emissions are generated from economic activities and urban areas and the numbers are increasing every year. In order to minimise the increase of carbon dioxide emission, the bene ts of trees should be derived in this situation as trees have the potential and capability of carbon storage (Yunusa and Linatoc, 2018). Trees acts as a sink for carbon dioxide by absorbing carbon during photosynthesis and storing carbon as biomass.…”

Special issue in honour of Prof. Reto J. Strasser - Monitoring seasonal damage of photosynthetic apparatus in mature street trees exposed to road-side salinity caused by heavy traffic

“…Thanks to their size, they have a great potential of reducing summer temperature due to both direct shading and transpirational cooling (Shashua- Bar andHoffman 2000, Gillner et al 2015). Their role in urban environment encompasses also carbon dioxide assimilation and sequestration (Nowak andCrane 2002, Yunusa andLinatoc 2018). Trees can also absorb some kinds of air contamination, e.g., sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (Tyrväinen et al 2005).…”