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Challenges in agroforestry mapping for carbon sequestration through

remote sensing and CO 2 Fix model in Guna district

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58 Indian J. of Agroforestry Vol. 18 No. 1 : 58-62 (2016)

Challenges in agroforestry mapping for carbon sequestration through

remote sensing and CO2 Fix model in Guna district
R.H. Rizvi, Ram Newaj, Amit Kumar Jain*, O.P. Chaturvedi, Rajendra Prasad,
Badre Alam, A.K. Handa, Chavan Sangram, Abhishek Maurya, P.S. Karmakar, A. Saxena
and Gargi Gupta
ICAR- Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Gwalior Road, Jhansi -284 003. U.P., India.
*Corresponding authors Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT: Global warming is becoming a huge problem for our mother earth due to carbon emission in the wake of
modernization and urbanization. Carbon sequestration is a phenomenon for the storage of CO2 or other forms of carbon
to mitigate global warming. Remote sensing becomes an effective tool for mapping and monitoring of agriculture, forestry
and other earth features. Agroforestry mapping is an important parameter for developmental planning at regional and
national level. The present study aims at estimating area and carbon sequestration potential under agroforestry in Guna
district of Madhya Pradesh. RS-2/ LISS-III remote sensing data was used to identify agroforestry, forest/ non-forest land
uses and land covers. It was estimated that about 3.55 percent of the district area under agroforestry. Dynamic CO2FIX
model v3.1 was used to assess the baseline (2011) carbon and to estimate carbon sequestration potential (CSP) of
agroforestry systems for a simulation period of 30 years in Guna district. The estimated numbers of trees existing on
farmer’s field was 6.40 per hectare. The baseline standing biomass in the tree components was 3.99 Mg DM ha-1 and the
total biomass (tree + crop) was 9.55 Mg DM ha-1 in the district. The CSP of existing agroforestry systems for simulation
period of thirty years was estimated to the tune of 0.159 Mg C ha-1 yr-1.
Key word: Agroforestry mapping, carbon sequestration, CO2FIX model, climate change and remote sensing.

Received on: 04/05/2016 Accepted on: 09/06/2016

1. INTRODUCTION biomass production Newaj and Dhyani, 2008; Dhyani

Carbon sequestration is a phenomenon for the storage et al., 2009) and method of estimation. Most of the
of CO2 or other forms of carbon to mitigate global estimates are based on biomass productivity and do
warming. Through biological, chemical or physical not take into account contributions such as soil and
processes, CO 2 is captured from the atmosphere. others. This is mainly due to absence of a standard
Carbon sequestration is a way to mitigate the methodology for carbon sequestration potential in Indian
accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere context.
released by the burning of fossil fuels and other Land use refers to the way in which land has been used
anthropogenic activities. by humans and their habitats, usually with accent on
Agroforestry is a viable alternative to prevent and the functional role of land for economic activities. Land
mitigate climate change. IPCC recognized agroforestry cover refers to the physical characteristics of earth’s
as having high potential for sequestering carbon under surface, natural vegetation, water bodies, soil/rock,
the climate change mitigations strategies (Watson et artificial cover and others resulting due to land
al., 2000). Many studies have reported the carbon transformation. In India, agroforestry area through remote
sequestration potential (CSP) of forest and agroforestry sensing and preliminary estimates were attempted by
in India (Dhyani et al., 1996; Ravindranath et al., 1997; Rizvi et al., (2014, 2013). Ahmad et al., (2007) developed
Haripriya 2001; Lal and Singh 2000; Swamy et al., 2003; a model for prediction of area under agroforestry in
Swamy and Puri 2005; Ajit et al., 2013). In India, an Yamunanagar district of Haryana State. Statistical
average sequestration potential in agroforestry has been evaluation and identification of villages that have potential
estimated to be 25 Mg C ha-1 over 96 million ha (Sathaye for agroforestry was done by Ahmad et al., (2010) using
and Ravindranath, 1998), but there is a considerable GIS. Remote Sensing has become an effective tool for
variation in different regions depending upon the mapping and monitoring of agriculture, forestry and other

Pankaj\E:\DATA-2014\NRC for Agroforestry, Jhansi\IJAF 18 (1), 2016 Formated articles—MS 10-770

 Challenges in agroforestry mapping for carbon sequestration through remote sensing and CO2 Fix model 59

earth features. A strategy of forest/ non-forest cover The dynamic carbon accounting model CO2FIX v3.1
mapping based on remotely sensed data and GIS was (Masera et al., 2003; Schelhaas et al., 2004) was used
demonstrated by Maurya et al., (2013). Remote sensing to assess the baseline carbon and simulating the carbon
technique has been used f or crop forecasting sequestration potential (CSP) of agroforestry systems
(Chaudhary, 1999), crop inventory (Salman and Saha, (AFS) in the district. CO2FIX model has been developed
1998), estimation of acreage and crop production as part of the CASFOR II project. It is a user-friendly
(Maurya, 2011), Calculating carbon sequestration tool f or dynamically estim ating the carbon
(Tripathi et al., 2010). With the advent of remote sensing, sequestration potential of forest management,
future planning and management of natural resources agroforestry and afforestation projects. This model
has considerably broadened. The objective of the study consists of six modules viz biomass module, soil
was to estimate area under agroforestry using GIS & module, products module, bioenergy module, financial
remote sensing and also carbon sequestration potential module and carbon accounting module.
of agroforestry systems in Guna district of Madhya For the purpose of simulating carbon stocks under
Pradesh. agrof orestry systems, the modules taken into
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS considerations are biomass, soil and carbon accounting
modules. CO2FIX model requires primary as well as
Study Area
secondary data on tree and crop components (called
Guna the gateway of Malwa and Chambal is located on ‘cohorts’ in CO2FIX terminology) for preparing the
the northern-eastern part of Malwa Platue between river account of carbon sequestered under agroforestry
Parbati and Betwa. The District is situated between systems on per hectare basis. The primary data
latitude 23053" N and 2506’55" N and longitude 76048’ includes tree species existing on farmlands and their
30"E and 780 16’70"E (Fig. 1). The western boundary of number, DBH, crops grown by farmers on farmlands
the district is well defined by the river. along with their productivity, area coverage etc. Whereas
Field Survey the secondary data includes the growth rates of tree
In the present investigation stratified random sampling biomass components (stem, branch, foliage, root) for
was used and two block and from each block two various species on annual basis.
villages were randomly selected. The primary data on 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
tree species, their number, diameter at breast height Guna district was classified into ten LULC classes viz.
(DBH), crops grown with trees was collected from agroforestry, cropland, plantation, forest, degraded
farmers’ field. The available tree species were then forest, wasteland, grassland, water bodies, built-ups,
grouped into three categories viz. slow, medium and and sandy area. With the help of remote sensing/ GIS
fast growing tree. technology, the estimated agroforestry area of Guna
Methodology district is 3.55 percent (Table 1 and Figure 1).

For mapping agroforestry area in Guna district,

Table 1.Land use and land cover statistics of Guna
Resourcesat-2/ LISS III remote sensing data (spatial
district
resolution 23.5 m) was used for land use/ land cover LULC Classes Area (ha) Area (%)
(LULC) classification. These data (97/54, 14-Oct-2013 Agroforestry 21783.1 3.55
and 97/55, 12-Mar-2013) were visually and digitally Cropland 374158 60.89
Plantation 2982.76 0.49
interpreted using ERDAS 2011 and ArcGIS 9.3 software.
Forest 42434.2 6.91
Classification accuracy was obtained with the help of Degraded forest 121736 19.81
100 GPS points collected from farmers’ fields on Grassland 3061.12 0.50
Wasteland 31489 5.12
agroforestry and thematic maps were finalized.
Sand 1971.48 0.32
Maximum likelihood method of supervised classification Waterbody 12852.6 2.09
was applied for assessment of land uses and land covers Builups 2004.17 0.33
of study districts. Total 614472.43 100
60 Indian J. of Agroforestry Vol. 18 No. 1 : 58-62 (2016)

Fig. 1. Location and LULC map of Guna district

 Challenges in agroforestry mapping for carbon sequestration through remote sensing and CO2 Fix model 61

Table 2.Number of trees per hectare for different site’s climate factors viz monthly average temperature,
categories total precipitation along with its distribution over different
Cohorts Tress category months, evapotranspiration etc. Similar results have
Slow Medium Fast been reported by Singh et al. (2011) that agricultural
growing growing growing
Average number of trees 1.39 3.80 1.20
soils of Indo-Gangetic plains, on an average, contain
per hectare 12.4 to 22.6 Mg ha-1 of organic carbon in the top 1 m
Estimated age of existing 40.3 17.22 9.65 soil depths. Lal (2004) reported that SOC concentration
trees (years)
increased with increased rainfall in several Indian soils.
Table 3.Biomass accumulated and carbon sequestrated under agroforestry system in Guna
-1
Tree Biomass (above and below ground ) Mg DM ha Baseline 3.99
Simulated 10.67
-1
Total Biomass (tree+ crop) Mg DM ha Baseline Biomass 9.55
Simulated 16.45
-1
Soil carbon (Mg C ha ) Baseline 23.38
Simulated 24.80
-1
Biomass carbon (Mg C ha ) Baseline 4.31
Simulated Carbon 7.59
-1
Total carbon (biomass + soil) (Mg C ha ) Baseline 27.61
Simulated 32.39
-1
Net carbon sequestered in agroforestry systems over the simulated period of thirty years (Mg C ha ) Carbon 4.78
-1 -1
Estimated annual carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry system (Mg C ha yr ) sequestered 0.159

Average numbers of trees per hectare were 1.39, 3.80 4. CONCLUSION

and 1.20 in slow, medium and fast growing groups
Agroforestry systems whether traditional or commercial
respectively and clubbing to a total of 6.40 trees ha-1 in
plays have potential of carbon sequestration in the form
Guna. The average age of the existing trees was 40, 17
of tree biomass and soil carbon. They play a vital role
and 9 years respectively for slow, medium and fast
in mitigating the effects of climate change through
growing trees (Table 2). The secondary data on district
sequestration of atmospheric CO2. CO2FIX model in
wise crop productivity was obtained from NIC (National
conjunction with geospatial technology can be
Informatics Centre, Ministry of Communications and
successfully applied for accurate estimation of area and
Information Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi) and
carbon sequestration under agroforestry at district or
the respective District Statistical Offices. The secondary
region level.
data includes production, productivity and average yield
of district along with land use pattern. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The tree biomass (above and below ground) increased Authors are thankful to ICAR for funding NICRA project
from 3.99 to 10.67 Mg DM ha-1. The soil carbon for Guna and authors are also thankful to the Director, CAFRI,
district is expected to increase from 23.38 to 24.80 Mg Jhansi for providing all kind of support for this project.
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