Carbon Stock Variation along altitudinal gradient of Wacho Forest in Hawa Galan District, Kellem Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Abstract Background Forest ecosystem plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle; as such, mitigating high atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by naturally taking carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Verification and accounting of carbon stock in forest ecosystem have been renowned as a potential strategy to reduce and stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gas. Forest sequesters and store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem and it is an important natural break on climate change. It acts as a carbon reservoir by storing large amount of carbon in trees, undergrowth vegetation, forest floor and soil. Result The mean carbon stock of each carbon pool was changed along altitudinal class of the study area. The largest mean above and below ground carbon stock was found in the second altitudinal class(1560.01-1643m) followed by first altitudinal class(1435-1560m) and the third altitudinal class (1643.01-1704m) of the study area. The largest mean dead tree and dead wood carbon stock was also stored in the first altitudinal class followed by the third and the second altitudinal class of the study area. The largest mean litter carbon stock was found in the first altitudinal class followed by the second and the third altitudinal class of the study area. The largest mean soil organic carbon was found in the third altitudinal class followed by the second and the first altitudinal class of the study area. Conclusions The carbon stock variation along altitudinal gradients indicated that, altitude had no a statistically significant effect on any of the carbon pools except litter carbon of the study area at 95% of confidence interval.