Biomass and carbon stored estimation in a harvested primary forest of "El Rodeo" protected zone, Costa Rica

Abstract

Costa Rica's National Climate Change Strategy stressed the importance of forest ecosystems in the absorption and fixation of CO2, as a mechanism to achieve carbon neutrality. This research sought to estimate the biomass and carbon stored in the different components of the forest of three sites belonging to the "El Rodeo" Protected Zone, located west of San José, Costa Rica (geographic coordinates 9º 52' 9.56'' N and 84º 14' 84.20'' W). Twelve temporary plots were installed, where the following components were inventoried: stem (>10 cm d), latissimus (5-9.9 cm d), necromass, herbaceous vegetation and litterfall, to determine the concentrations of carbon in each one, components that together represent the potential amount of carbon that can be released into the atmosphere or conserved and fixed on a given surface. With respect to the volume of carbon in the forest, it was determined that the average accumulated in all components analyzed is 230.38 Mg/ha, so it is estimated that the approximate carbon stock for the entire protective zone "El Rodeo" is 541 400.23 Mg. However, the study evidenced a high variability in biomass and carbon content between sites and established plots, due to the wide matrix of the landscape that generates heterogeneity in the forest.