Estimation of biomass and carbon stocks in plants, soil and forest floor in different tropical forests

▶ Carbon content in trees, forest floor and soil was assessed in patula pine (Pinus patula) and teak (Tectona grandis) stands in tropical forest plantations of different development stages in combination with inventory assessments and soil survey information to estimate their contribution to global carbon stocks. ▶ Carbon storage in trees was similar between patula pine and teak plantations, but patula pine had higher levels of forest floor carbon and soil organic carbon. ▶ FFC content is less than 1%, the low FFC in tropical plantations make it necessary to re-evaluate the importance of this parameter in forest carbon stock balances. ▶ Carbon storage in trees represents 37 and 60% of the total carbon content in patula pine and teak plantations, respectively. ▶ The high SOC stocks under the P. patula stands compared to the T. grandis stands could be attributed to the fact that the P. patula stands have been under pasture before planting the trees. The SOC stock has a high variability between species, and it is conditioned by the historical land uses, before the establishment of the plantation. An accurate characterization of tree carbon (TC), forest floor carbon (FFC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) in tropical forest plantations is important to estimate their contribution to global carbon stocks. This information, however, is poor and fragmented. Carbon contents were assessed in patula pine (Pinus patula) and teak (Tectona grandis) stands in tropical forest plantations of different development stages in combination with inventory assessments and soil survey information. Growth models were used to associate TOC to tree normal diameter (D) with average basal area and total tree height (HT), with D and HT parameters that can be used in 6–26 years old patula pine and teak in commercial tropical forests as indicators of carbon stocks. The information was obtained from individual trees in different development stages in 54 patula pine plots and 42 teak plots. The obtained TC was 99.6Mgha−1 in patula pine and 85.7Mgha−1 in teak forests. FFC was 2.3 and 1.2Mgha−1, SOC in the surface layer (0–25cm) was 92.6 and 35.8Mgha−1, 76.1 and 19Mgha−1 in deep layers (25–50cm) in patula pine and teak, respectively. Carbon storage in trees was similar between patula pine and teak plantations, but patula pine had higher levels of forest floor carbon and soil organic carbon. Carbon storage in trees represents 37 and 60% of the total carbon content in patula pine and teak plantatio