An Evaluation of Carbon Dynamics in Miombo Woodlands

Abstract

The miombo woodland vegetation is highly heterogeneous a phenomenon that makes it difficult to assess biomass. Hence very little is known of their carbon dynamics and factors causing biomass variations. Estimation of forest biomass is the first step towards calculation of carbon stocks. Current knowledge of miombo’s carbon (C) pools is limited despite its importance in the global C budget. To increase understanding of C stocks in African woodlands, we asked how does carbon stocks in soil and vegetation vary across a miombo woodland landscape and to what degree and at what scales are these stocks linked?  A 5 km transect cyclic sampling scheme was used to allow geostatistical analysis. Vegetation and soil C stocks were coupled in the landscape in the top 5 cm of soil (r² = 0.24) but not with deeper soil C stocks, which were coupled to soil clay content (r² = 0.38). This study suggests that C stock distributions are strongly linked to topography and soil texture. To optimise sampling strategies for C stock assessments in miombo, soil C should be sampled at > 26 m apart, and AG C should be sampled at > 1430 m apart in plots > 0.5 ha.

Keywords: Africa, biomass, carbon dynamics, carbon stocks, miombo woodland, variation of biomass.

DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/69-02

Publication date:September 30^th 2020