Forest carbon stocks and fluxes in physiographic zones of India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reducing carbon Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) is of central importance to combat climate change. Foremost among the challenges is quantifying nation's carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation, which requires information on forest carbon storage. Here we estimated carbon storage in India's forest biomass for the years 2003, 2005 and 2007 and the net flux caused by deforestation and degradation, between two assessment periods i.e., Assessment Period first (ASP I), 2003-2005 and Assessment Period second (ASP II), 2005-2007.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The total estimated carbon stock in India's forest biomass varied from 3325 to 3161 Mt during the years 2003 to 2007 respectively. There was a net flux of 372 Mt of CO₂in ASP I and 288 Mt of CO₂in ASP II, with an annual emission of 186 and 114 Mt of CO₂respectively. The carbon stock in India's forest biomass decreased continuously from 2003 onwards, despite slight increase in forest cover. The rate of carbon loss from the forest biomass in ASP II has dropped by 38.27% compared to ASP I.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>With the Copenhagen Accord, India along with other BASIC countries China, Brazil and South Africa is voluntarily going to cut emissions. India will voluntary reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 20-25% by 2020 in comparison to 2005 level, activities like REDD+ can provide a relatively cost-effective way of offsetting emissions, either by increasing the removals of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by afforestation programmes, managing forests, or by reducing emissions through deforestation and degradation.</p

Islands in the desert-forest vegetation of Kenya's smaller mountains and highland areas (Nyiru, Ndoto, Kulal, Marsabit, Loroghi, Ndare, Mukogodo, Porror, Mathews, Gakoe, Imenti, Ngaia, Nyambeni, Loita, Nguruman, Nairobi)

A syntaxonomic survey of Kenyan montane forests was performed in a field study from 1992-1996. Most forests encountered belong to the Juniperetea procerae floral community (cedar forests), of which the Juniperion procerae Faureo salignae-Ilicetum mitis on the wet mountaintops and the Myrsino africanae-Juniperetum procerae in drier areas, were most commonly encountered. On Mt Marsabit the Coffeo arabicae¬Rinoreetum convallarioidis was found as a new association of the Cassipourion malosanae. The top of Mt Nyiru is covered with large stands of the Hagenietea abyssinicae and extensive bamboo forests (Sinarundinarietea alpinae). Mathews Range harbours the largest forest tracts remaining in the dry north of Kenya. On the lower slopes of this mountain, a new alliance, assessed as Crotonion megalocarpi is described. Camphor forests (Ocotetea usambarensis) cover altitudes from 1,600-2,400 m in the southern Aberdare Range. In the submontane Imenti and Ngaia forests, and the Nyambeni Hills, between 1,200-1,600 m altitude, a variety of forest types related to the Guineo Congolian rainforest were encountered. These forests are assessed as Lovoion swynnertonii. In the montane zone of Nyambeni dense bamboo forests cover the wetter areas, whereas drier parts are covered by cedar forests. On the drier hill slopes of southern Kenya the Juniperion procerae is the prevalent forest type. On the often mist-covered and cloudy hilltops, associations of the Cassipourion malosanae are growing. The forests around Nairobi clearly belong to the Brachylaenion huillensis. Although some syntaxa had to be newly described, the forests of the study areas clearly fit into the classification system of Bussmann & Beck (1995). Journal of East African Natural History Vol. 91 (1&2) 2002: pp. 27-7

Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ZINGIBERACEAE)

Zingiber officinale Roscoe: The genus Zingiber has about 20 species. The plant grows up to 60–90 cm in height, having originated in South-East Asia and it’s widely cultivated all over in India, China, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Thailand, Jamaica, Nigeria, and other places