Himalayan forests: nature's carbon credit powerhouses unveiled

The central Himalayan forests, known as the Earth's vital carbon reservoirs, play a significant role in our global carbon mitigation efforts. A new study delves into these forests to estimate ecosystem carbon storage, allocation, and carbon credit potential across various tree species, including chir-pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.), deodar (Cedrus deodara [Roxb.] G. Don), oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus), and sal (Shorea robusta [Roth]) forests.

Using volumetric equations and field sampling, especially the quadrat method, the research quantified tree biomass and found considerable variation in carbon stocks among different forest types, ranging from 122.44 to 306.44 Mg C ha⁻¹. Oak forests led the pack with the highest carbon stock, followed by deodar and sal forests, with pine forests bringing up the rear.

The research also highlighted the allocation of ecosystem carbon stocks among various components: trees (21%–34%), soil (64%–77%), deadwood (0.9%–0.35%), and litter (0.46%–1.20%), showing significant variability. The Mantel test pointed to the substantial influence of environmental factors on carbon storage.

CO₂ sequestration potential varied significantly, from 448.98 Mg CO₂ ha⁻¹ in pine forests to 1123.16 Mg CO₂ ha⁻¹ in oak forests. Carbon credit values ranged from 1346.96 EUR ha⁻¹ for pine forests to 3379.49 EUR ha⁻¹ for oak forests. Dominant trees in various forest types contributed to higher carbon storage in their biomass and forest soil, resulting in greater carbon credits.

This study evaluates ecosystem carbon storage, CO₂ sequestration potential, and carbon credit valuation for major forests in the central Himalaya. Incorporating these findings into forest management plans and strategies could enhance the carbon sequestration potential and carbon trading of the central Himalayan forest ecosystem in India.

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Journal reference:  Joshi, R.K., Garkoti, S.C. Ecosystem carbon storage, allocation and carbon credit values of major forest types in the central Himalaya. Carbon Res. 4, 7 (2025).   

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-024-00159-4  

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About Carbon Research

The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.

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