Carbon potential in the arboreal stratum of a lowland evergreen forest, Sucumbios - Ecuador

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the floristic composition and the carbon potential accumulated in the arboreal stratum of a Lowland Evergreen Forest in the Cuyabeno Fauna Production Reserve. A conglomerate of one hectare subdivided into 25 sampling units of 20m x 20m was established. The floristic composition, the index of ecological importance at the family and species level, the above-ground biomass through allometric equations, the importance of biomass value and the carbon potential stored in the arboreal stratum were determined. It was determined that the forest in the study area stores 392,1 ± 2,35 Mg ha^-1 of biomass and 196,05 ± 1,17 Mg C ha^-1 in 685 ind ha^-1. with D_1,30 ≥ 10 cm distributed in 13 orders, 19 families, 35 genera, 43 species. The families with the highest number of species were Fabacea, Moraceae, Lauraceae, among families that store the greatest amount of carbon, the following stood out: Lauraceae (35,6 ± 0,7 Mg ha^-1), Chrysobalanaceae (34,5 ± 5,3 Mg ha^-1), Fabaceae (23,6 ± 0,52 Mg ha^-1), Sapotaceae (22,6 ± 0,6 Mg ha^-1), Arecaceae (21,99 ± 0,25 Mg ha^-1) that they accumulate 70,4% of carbon sequestered in the above-ground biomass of the forest. The accumulation of biomass is determined by the age of each biotype present in the forest, the density of its wood and the abundance of individuals, according to its structure, it is evident that it is self-regenerating in the process of development with a tendency to growth, biomass productivity and carbon sequestration.