Abstract:
This study was conducted on woody species diversity and above ground live carbon storage in
different categories of Hunase natural forest of Gibbe Woreda, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia.
The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess woody species richness and diversity; (2) to
determine carbon storage and sequestration potential from a woody species biomass; (3)
determine the variation of different categories of natural forest in carbon storage. Three
transects were laid at a distance of 200m from each other. The transects encompass disturbed,
semi-disturbed and undisturbed categories of the forest based on the degree of human
disturbance and species composition respectively. Twelve plots of size 100m × 100m were
systematical laid at 25m elevation interval along each transect lines (total = 36 plots). For all
woody species diversity and carbon storage the DBH>10cm were measured and recorded for all
data analysis. Overall, 38 species of woody species belong to 36 genera and 27 families were
collected and documented. Each sample specimen were identified using botanical keys of
published Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Shannon-Weiner index and Sorensen Similarity
index were used to measure species diversity and to compare species composition of each
categories respectively and 2.75, 2.388, 2.14 diversity index value was calculated for
undisturbed, semi-disurbed and disturbed categories respectively. The basal area of individual
woody species was obtained by multiplying π with (DBH/2) 2
and aboveground live biomass of
each species was determined by using the revised non-destructive allometric equation, carbon
storage of each woody species was obtained as 50% of AGB and sequestration potential were
also obtained from a stored carbon in the biomass.. In this study, 0.17t AGC/ha, 0.19t AGC/ha
and 1.95t AGC/ha were obtained from disturbed, semi-disturbed and undisturbed categories
respectively