Assessment of Carbon Sequestration in a Cocoa Field in the Lôh-Djiboua Region: The Case of Divo, Côte d’Ivoire
Noël GROGA
Laboratory for the Improvement of Agricultural Production, Faculty of Agroforestry, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University of Daloa, P.O. Box 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
Yao Bertin KOUAKOU *
Laboratory for the Improvement of Agricultural Production, Faculty of Agroforestry, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University of Daloa, P.O. Box 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
Souleymane DIOMANDE
Department of Agriculture and Technological Innovation, Faculty of Agriculture, Fisheries Resources and Agro-Industries, University of San Pedro, P.O. Box 1800, San Pedro, Côte d’Ivoire.
Mamadou TRAORE
Centre for Continuing Education, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University of Daloa, P.O. Box 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
Kanga Justin KOUASSI
Laboratory for the Improvement of Agricultural Production, Faculty of Agroforestry, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University of Daloa, P.O. Box 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
Dogniméton SORO
Laboratory for the Improvement of Agricultural Production, Faculty of Agroforestry, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University of Daloa, P.O. Box 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study was conducted in Divo Botanic reserve. The overall objective of the present research is to determine the various carbon sequestration potentials in cocoa-based agroforestry plantations. The biological material consists of trees recorded in Divo Botanic reserve. The sampling design includes 26 plots measuring 30 m x 50 m, randomly established and 61 plant species were recorded. The diameter was measured over bark at breast height (DBH) of 1.30m from the ground). The tool used to measure tree circumferences was a forestry tape. Biomass stocks were obtained using two methods: destructive and non-destructive. To determine carbon stock, aboveground biomass was converted according to established recommendations. The distribution of trees by height class showed a dominance of individuals in the medium height class. The height of most trees ranged from 10-15metres and 16-20metres, which alone stores an average of 42.03 tC/ha. The least carbon stock was recoreded was 27.94 tC/ha at the first Agroforestry system (SAF1), while the highest was 42.03 tC/ha, recorded the lowest carbon rate compared to the third Agroforestry system (SAF3), which alone stores an average of 42.03 tC/ha. The relationship between carbon stock and tree diameter showed a strong correlation, as the correlation coefficient was r = 0.98, close to 1, with a p-value less than 0.05.
Keywords: Carbon sequestration, tree circumferences, aboveground biomass, agroforestry system