Accumulated carbon estimation in Gmelina arborea Roxb. from Tlatlaya, Estado de México with allometric equations

Abstract

Based on the carbon storage capacity of forest species, the accumulated carbon in an eight ha plantation, of Gmelina arborea of different ages, established in 2014, was estimated by means of mensuration variables and allometric equations; This plantation is located in Tlatlaya, State of Mexico, at 694 masl, with a slope of 40 % and a density of 1 040 ha^-1 trees. Work was carried out on eight permanent circular sampling plots of 400 m² and a radius of 11.28 m, in which 207 trees were counted in total. An analysis of variance was performed and compared with the Tukey means test (p <0.05). The results indicate that the increase in DAP was 0.75 cm and the height of 0.54 m in the measurement period (six months); the biomass is distributed in the trunk (72.54 %), branches (18.37 %) and root (9.09 %) of the trees. The carbon accumulated in the tree components showed significant statistical differences in the ages evaluated. After three years the carbon accumulated in the trunk was 6.07 t ha^-1, in the branches, 1.49 t ha^-1, at the root of 0.76 t ha^-1 and the total carbon accumulated, 8.31 t ha^-1. It is concluded that the managed values of the predictive variables in the equation adjusted to estimate the carbon accumulated in the plantation of G. arborea vary by factors such as age, edaphoclimatic conditions, silvicultural practices and woodland density.