Changes in Distribution of Carbon in Various Forest Types of India from 1995-2005 Changements dans la Distribution du Carbone dans Différents Types de Forêts en Inde

Abstract. India has 76.87 million ha of forest and tree cover spread across 16 major forest types. These forests are potential source for critical ecosystem goods and services to the poor residing at the periphery. On the other hand the significant role of forests in carbon storage and sequestration has increased their importance manifold and brought them to the centre-stage of climate change mitigation strategies. The national policies of India for forests for conservation and sustainable use has provided the opportunity to the forests as a net sink of CO2. From 1995 to 2005, carbon stocks stored in India's total forests have increased from 6244.78 to 6621.55 million tonnes (Mt). This amount of carbon sequestration will dent the emissions from various sources. This potential may be enhanced by reducing the barriers of different forest types, which hinders the carbon sequestration. In the present study we tried to explore the addition and reduction of carbon in the various types by using the data of various reports and papers. So that forests with decreasing carbon sequestering capability may be identified and addressed for enhancement of existing capability. Our study reveals that carbon addition per ha is maximum in montane wet temperate forests followed by sub alpine and alpine forest and sub tropical dry evergreen forests in 1995 and 2005. However, for a few forest types the per unit carbon sequestration capability was decreased during the decades. This was highest in littoral and swamp forest followed by tropical semi evergreen and sub tropical broad leaved hill forest. Possible causes of carbon addition were pointed aiming to improve the situations of carbon sequestration of existing forests. Key words: Carbon sequestration; sink; biomass carbon; forest management; mitigation measures. Alterações na Distribuição do Carbono em Diferentes Tipos de Floresta na Índia entre 1995-2005 Sumário. A Índia tem 76,87 milhões de hectares de floresta, distribuídos por 16 tipos de espécies principais. Estas florestas, para os pobres residentes dos subúrbios, são uma fonte potencial de bens e serviços obtidos a partir de ecossistemas frágeis. Por outro lado, o papel significativo que as florestas desempenham no armazenamento e sequestro do carbono, aumentou a sua importância e colocou-as no centro das estratégias de mitigação das alterações 42 Pandey, R.; Rawat, G. S. and Kishwan, J