Assessing CIRCA SITUM Conservation Value and Carbon Sequestration Potential of Shade Coffee Landscapes of Kodagu Karnataka

Abstract

newline Tropical landscapes harbor diverse flora and fauna. Understanding patterns of tree newlinespecies diversity, genetic diversity and biomass distribution is essential for assessing newlineconservation value. A study was undertaken to assess the circa situm conservation value and newlinecarbon sequestration potential of landscape elements such as natural forests, sacred groves and newlinecoffee plantations across three bioclimatic zones of Kodagu. In natural forests and sacred newlinegroves, 20 quadrats of 20 x 20 m size and nine quadrats of 25 x 50 m size in coffee plantations newlinewere randomly laid. Tree species identified and their height, DBH and individual density were newlinemeasured. Non- destructive sampling was used for estimation of carbon sequestration. Results newlinerevealed that coffee plantations were equally more speciose (48, 55, 59 in zone-1, zone-2 and newlinezone-3 respectively) than natural forests (49, 54 and 41 respectively). Higher values of newlinediversity indices as Margalef s richness index, Shannon s diversity index and species newlineevenness found in coffee plantations than natural forests. Surprisingly, coffee plantations of newlinezone-2 had higher CCV than of the natural forests (89.00). The level of genetic diversity newlineindicated that Dalbergia latifolia population in coffee plantations of bioclimatic zone-1 harbor newlinehigher levels of genetic diversity (1.6842 observed number of allels and 1.441 effective newlinenumber of allels, respectively). Genetic diversity in Acrocarpus fraxinifolius population of newlinesacred groves and coffee plantations population in bioclimatic zone-2 recorded higher genetic newlinediversity (0.3779 and 0.5601) and Ficus racemosa population in natural forests of bioclimatic newlinezone-3 (1.8947). Total tree carbon accumulated was highest in bioclimatic zone-1 (238.47 Mg newlineha-1) and higher SOC (2.32%) was observed among the sacred groves at a depth of 0.00 to newline0.30 m depth. Coffee plantations of bioclimatic zone-1 had higher total carbon density newline(2195.78 Mg ha-1) as compared to other landscape elements. Circa situm gene bank of native newlinespecies such as Dalbe