CARBON STORAGE IN SHELTERBELTS IN THE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS OF THE BAČKA PALANKA AREA (SERBIA)
Field shelterbelts as agroforestry practice provides numerous ecosystem services.Carbon capture and storage potential in biomass and soil is among regulatingservices shelterbelts provide. Designing shelterbelts to address the various demandsand provide services, requests special attention to choosing structural and spatialcharacteristics of shelterbelts, and species selection for shelterbelts. This paperpresents the research results of C storage in 20-years old shelterbelts established onGleyic Phaeozem in the area of Bačka Palanka (Serbia). Investigated shelterbeltswere consisted of the most commonly used species for shelterbelt establishment inSerbia: Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila L.), poplar (Populus x euramericana (Dode)Guin. cv. „Serotina“) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). The diameter atbreast height (d) and the height (h) of all trees in studied shelterbelts weremeasured. Carbon stock in biomass was estimated according to IPCC (2003)methodology. Soil profiles were opened in studied shelterbelts with soil samplingcarried out at fixed depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-40 cm. Assessment ofcarbon storage in soil was performed according to IPCC (2003). According to theresearch results, living biomass C stock in 20-years old Siberian elm and poplarshelterbelts per tree is almost the same 0.333 t per tree and 0.300 t per tree,respectively. In black locust shelterbelt carbon stock is considerable less 0.111 t pertree. However, in species selection for shelterbelts some characteristics should takeinto account such as adaptability and suitability to the environmental conditions,longevity and their impact on crops that are grown in the sheltered fields, as well asthe natural potential vegetation communities of the area. The results of this studyindicate that the poplar is preferred species than the Siberian elm in givenenvironmental conditions. The average carbon stock in the soil of studiedshelterbelts in a layer 0-40 cm is 9.33 kg m-2 C.