Influence of Land Use Types on Carbon Bioaccumulation InAchalla and Mamu Forest Reserves, Anambra State, Nigeria
Egwunatum AE, Umeh CI and Ezeokafor SH
Published: January 31, 2022
Abstract
This study examined the carbon bioaccumulation capacities of Achalla and MamuRiver Forest reserves in Anambra State as influenced by land use types. Profile pits measuring 0.60m×0.60m×0.60m were constructed in the residential, deforested, taungya and non-impacted land use areas within each forest reserve. Soil samples were collected from the depths of 0-20cm, 20-40 cm, 40-60cm and analyzed for physico-chemical properties -particle size, porosity, organic matter and carbon, cation exchange capacity, pH, total nitrogen. Data collected were subjected to T-test to compare the carbon bioaccumulated in the two forest reserves while ANOVA was used to ascertain the influence of different land use types and significant means were separated using Duncan multiple range test at 5% level of probability. The result showed that there was no significant difference in carbon accumulation in the forest reserves with Mamu (1.213±0.185)?Achalla (0.797±0.103). There was also no significant difference (p > 0.05) within and between land use types in different forest reserve with respect to soil physico-chemical properties in MamuRiver Forest reserve except in Achalla forest reserve on the pH-H2O (p < 0.05) with the pH as residential < deforested < taungya < non-impacted LUTsin the non–impacted land use types. This revealed that the non–impacted area have the highest organic matter content that potentially facilitated carbon bioaccumulation for climate change mitigation in Anambra State and suggest the need to restrict exploitation, expansion of residential and taungya lands as check to improve carbon sink in the forest reserves.
Keywords: Forest reserves; land use types; organic matter; carbon; pH range