Assessment of Carbon Sequestration by Herbs and Soil in Wetlands of the Bhopal District of Central India

Abstract

Ankita Singh, Sharmistha Sejpada, Meenu Shekhawat, Pratiksha Singh and Vipin Vyas

Wetlands in urban areas act as natural buffers that control floods, mitigate fire risk, and regulate local climates, helping reduce the impact of extreme weather events on communities. Quantifying carbon stocks is critical for evaluating the potential of an ecosystem to mitigate the effects of global climate change and the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emitted from industries, the burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation, which results in greenhouse gases (GHGs). Hence, vegetation near wetlands in terms of agroforestry, plantations, and reforestation has been suggested as one of the most appropriate land management systems for mitigating atmospheric CO2 through the photosynthesis process. Natural herbs, grasses, and soil were studied near the wetland ecosystem in Madhya Pradesh, India to understand how much vegetation and soil are applicable for capturing carbon in urban areas as a carbon pool or carbon reservoir among the sites. The results indicated that the biomass of the wetland (near the natural ecosystem) was 1.68 t ha-1, whereas that of the wetland (near the manmade ecosystem) was 0.83 t ha-1. The total carbon stock in wetlands ranges between 16.34 t C ha-1 and 23.28 t C ha-1. Greater biomass accumulation and carbon stocks have been recorded in wetlands that are near natural ecosystems or away from human interference. Proper efforts are required to manage these diverse ecosystems to obtain higher biomass and sustainable ecological services.

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