Carbon stock and horizontal structure of a temperate forest in Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua

Abstract

The need to know the structure and amount of carbon stored in forest ecosystems is very important, as these are a major sink of carbon dioxide (CO₂). This study was developed in the ejido Chinatú, municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua, where random samplings were carried out at eight circular sites of 1 000 m² distributed in 80.46 hectares of surface. The horizontal structure was analyzed based on the importance value index (IVI) and diametric classes; in addition, the mixing ratio, richness and diversity of species were determined according to the Margalef index (D_Mg) and Shannon-Weiner index (H´), the carbon stored in the aerial biomass was estimated by means of allometric equations, based on the volume for each of the species. Ten species with a density of 460 N ha^-1 were identified. The species with the highest ecological value (IVI) was Pseudotsuga menziesii, with 26.14 %; the wealth and diversity obtained were D_Mg = 1.47 and H’= 1.96, respectively; the diametric distribution is balanced, in the form of a Liocourt curve, and the stored carbon content was 45.20 Mg C ha^-1. These analyses show that the forest is homogeneous, without broad dominance of any specific species, and is in a good state of conservation since the smaller diameter categories abound in small individuals that will later replace the mature mass.