Forest conservation, afforestation and reforestation in India: Implications for forest carbon stocks

Ravindranath, NH and Chaturvedi, Rajiv Kumar and Murthy, Indu K (2008) Forest conservation, afforestation and reforestation in India: Implications for forest carbon stocks. In: Current Science, 95 (2). pp. 216-222.

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Abstract

This article presents an assessment of the implications of past and current forest conservation and regeneration policies and programmes for forest carbon sink in India. The area under forests, including part of the area afforested, is increasing and currently 67.83 mha of area is under forest cover. Assuming that the current trend continues, the area under forest cover is projected to reach 72 mha by 2030. Estimates of carbon stock in Indian forests in both soil and vegetation range from 8.58 to 9.57 GtC. The carbon stock in existing forests is projected to be nearly stable over the next 25 year period at 8.79 GtC. However, if the current rate of afforestation and reforestation is assumed to continue, the carbon stock could increase from 8.79 GtC in 2006 to 9.75 GtC by 2030 - an increase of 11%. The estimates made in this study assume that the current trend will continue and do not include forest degradation and loss of carbon stocks due to biomass extraction, fire, grazing and other disturbances.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Current Science
Publisher:	Indian Academy of Sciences
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Indian Academy of Sciences.
Keywords:	Afforestation;carbon stocks;conservation;reforestation.
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Centre for Sustainable Technologies (formerly ASTRA) Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences
Date Deposited:	14 Oct 2008 05:04
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 04:50
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/16018

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