Assessing forest carbon accumulation potential across different treatments using field inventory data

Deforestation and forest degradation lead to an increase in the level of carbon in the atmosphere and disrupted the global carbon cycle. The tropical forest has received a lot of interest since it contributes around 60% of the total global forest carbon. By enhancing carbon sink, tropical forests have a great potential in mitigating climate change. Assessing aboveground biomass (AGB) and carbon stock through field inventories is crucial for this purpose as it provides the most accurate result. The research was conducted at Danum Valley Conservation Area and INFAPRO in Sabah, Malaysia. An earlier study over 35 years ago at this site suggests that restored forests accrue AGB at twice the rate of regenerating forests, though the cause of this difference between treatments is unclear. Thus, this study will focus on three principal study sites which are restored, naturally regenerating and old-growth forests to determine the forest's potential to sequester and store carbon in the forest ecosystem. These three sites were chosen because it is a well-established plot from the earlier inventory over the last seven years. The field measuring method is a non-destructive methodology. Tree parameters such as diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height and tree species diversity were collected for calculating AGB using a species-specific allometric equation. Results showed a positive correlation between tree species, diameter at breast height, and biomass/carbon stock across three different forest treatments. The active restoration increases up to 151% carbon stock whilst the old-growth forest increased by 34% and natural regeneration increased by 73%, which active restoration can be the best solution for forest treatment. The outcome of this study will increase the ability of forest authorities and the Malaysian government to effective monitoring of carbon stock for establishing reliable standard guidelines in measuring deforestation and forest degradation toward achieving sustainable forest management.