The
research focused on the potential of the Arroceros Forest Park located in
Manila, Philippines, as one of the country’s most populated and polluted areas,
in storing and sequestering carbon. The Arroceros Forest Park is considered as
the “Last Lung of Manila” with a 2.2-hectare area over the last 26 years of
existence, the forest park sequesters carbon of an amount of 5.04t C/ha/yr.
Despite the formulation of values, lack of studies related to the scale of how
more or less the aboveground biomass and carbon stock estimate is. Furthermore,
the use of drones and accurate technologies must be used for the large-scale
forests for efficient working.
Abstract
In an area where urbanization is rapidly growing, carbon is slowly sequestered which clogs the ozone layer. With forest biomass, carbon is easily sequestered and stored by trees. This research focuses on the potential carbon storage of the Arroceros Forest Park, one of the last lungs of the metropolis located in the heart of the National Capital Region, Manila, Philippines. Trees with ≥10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were inventoried, from two (2) hectare areas of the site. These trees were used in the estimation of the biomass and carbon stock. The Power-Fit Equation from Banaticla (insert year), = 0.342 (DBH (exp (0.73))) was used in the study. Results showed that Swietenia macrophylla dominated the park. The species with the highest contribution of biomass and carbon is the Swietenia macrophylla with a value of 149.55t/ha. The carbon formed from this was 45%, and the estimated carbon stock present is 30.59Ct/ha. Total Above-ground biomass and carbon stock in the forest park is estimated at 640.21t/ha, and 130.95Ct/ha, respectively. Provided the carbon stock estimate, this could give more importance to Arroceros Forest Park in carbon sequestration. The site must be protected and enhanced to promote the important role of green spaces in Metro Manila.
Introduction
Forest has a massive role in the ecosystem. It is composed of
trees that function as a sink for the carbons available in the atmosphere. This
is also important to human beings as it produces oxygen that is essential to
life. Through a continuous collection of carbons from the atmosphere, without disturbances
that will compromise the function of trees and forests, the average global
temperature will slowly decrease. Without forests, negative impacts such as flash
floods and sudden increases in the global temperature would likely occur.
Due to industrialization and modernization, agricultural areas were prioritized forested areas were converted, corals were
decolorizing and degrading from the absorption of toxic liquid wastes found in
the oceans and seas (Dam, J.W., et al., 2011). Another threat to the
environment was the conversion of forest lands to establishments for the
creation of different kinds of technologies for efficient production. On the
other hand, urbanization leads to the production of different kinds of ways to
efficiently work developmental projects and environmental research such fields
as Geographic Information systems and Remote Sensing.
This innovation helps forestry adapt to the modern approach
to the environment. Urban establishments also use green architecture, different
recreational parks, and ecotourism sites were formed for controlling the
microclimate of the environment as well tourist attractions. Carbons formed due
to the process of the carbon cycle, the interconnected process in the environment,
of carbon atoms, with its component; the atmosphere, the terrestrial biosphere,
ocean, sediment as well as the earth's interior (Encyclopedia Britannica,
2019). According to the Royal Society of Chemistry (2020), Carbon, with an
atomic number of six (6) had an anatomic weight of 12 u, is widely distributed in every
part of the planet.
This element was considered to be one of the important
elements discovered on the planet. Also, it is fourth in terms of abundance in the
universe through mass and was the second most abundant element to be found in
the human body. In spite of pollution from the carbon, Committee on Climate
Change performs different activities in order to demote the use of technologies
that harms the environment such as the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) a forum composed of 195 countries in 1992 focuses on
areas of mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, reporting of national
emissions, adapting to climate change, and financing the developing countries
that promote climate action. Another activity is the Kyoto Protocol, wherein 37
industrialized countries committed to lowering their greenhouse gas emission to
five percent, in the same manner, the United Kingdom voluntarily reduced their
greenhouse gas emissions to12.5% from the year 2008 to 2012.
In addition, in December 2015 the committee continues negotiations
that lead to the Paris Agreement composed of 160UNFCCC parties including China,
the United States, and the European Union. The main goal of the Agreement is to
lessen greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the global average temperature from two
degrees and below. Furthermore, through forest biomass, different parts of the
tree such as the trunk, bark, leaves, branches, and needles, carbon is easily
sequestered and stored in trees. In addition, elements such as carbon are very essential
in plants and will be recycled to be used in the process called Photosynthesis,
which produces glucose and oxygen.
The biomass depends on the size of the forest area Due to
this particular reason, forest land conversion is one of the most dangerous
things that humans should not have done because, without forest lands, there would
not be a huge machine that could face dangerous typhoons such as Yolanda.
Also, this inappropriate action could lead to a loss of macronutrients of the soil,
as well as micronutrients, and infertility of the particular burned area (Butler,
R. 2012). However, carbon stock estimation is the assessment of the forest
biomass in terms of carbon. Also, carbon stock estimation would tell if a
certain forest area has become a huge success in carbon sequestering for an
environment (Vacuum, K, T, 2012). The objective of the study is to calculate
the aboveground biomass and carbon stock of the Archers Forest Park, Manila.
Check Out More By Following The Link J. Bio. Env. Sci. 18(1), 17-24, January 2021.
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