2023, Vol. 8, Special Issue 6

Bamboo with the vigorous growth and its ability to thrive in varied climatic conditions probably can replace woods in sequestering carbon. The various bamboo species evidently unrivaled the efficiency of bamboo to capture and store carbon. A field experiment on the carbon sequestration potential of various bamboo species was initiated at Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Kolhapur, Sub-montane Zone Maharashtra during 2022-23. The present investigation was initiated with an objective to evaluate the comparative carbon sequestration potential of different bamboo after 12 years of bamboo plantation. The experiment comprised of six bamboo species as treatment viz. Bambusa tulda, Bambusa balcooa, Bambusa bambos, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus strictus, Melocanna baccifera. Each bamboo species was having four replicated plots i.e. four replications. The soil of experimental site was shallow and lighter type belonging to Entisols having moderate undulating topography with small ridges and valleys and steep slopes ranging from 5 to 6.5 percent.

The bamboo species Dendrocalamus strictus resulted significantly highest above ground biomass in all bamboo components such as culm biomass (89.48 t ha^-1), branches (27.90 t ha^-1) and leaves (1.34 t ha^-1) over respective bamboo components of all the other species. Similarly, the below ground biomass (32.05 t ha^-1) was also found to be significantly superior in Dendrocalamus strictus. In context of soil carbon density, the bamboo species Dendrocalamus strictus recorded highest though non-significant value of 21.13 t C ha^-1. In most of the total carbon stock contributing parameter the bamboo species Bambusa tulda stood next to Dendrocalamus strictus. The summation of total biomass carbon stock and soil carbon density put forth that the bamboo species Dendrocalamus strictus emerged as most efficient species of bamboo that can thrive well in the existing climatic condition and showed significantly highest total carbon stock to the tune of 90.90 t C ha^-1 over all the other bamboo species followed by Bambusa tulda. It is therefore concluded that the species Dendrocalamus strictus is most potential bamboo species to sequester highest amount of atmospheric carbon as compared to all the other species grown in Sub-montane conditions of Maharashtra.