Carbon stock potential of smallholder’s Eucalyptus woodlots in cases of Borena District, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

In rural Ethiopia, the cultivation and establishment of Eucalyptus trees in the form of woodlots have become common practices among farmers. However, there is insufficient information on the extent of Eucalyptus woodlot resources and their carbon stock potential. This study aimed to estimate the resource base and carbon stock of Eucalyptus woodlots. The study area was stratified into midland and highland agroecological zones, and six Kebeles were purposively selected from each zone. An inventory of Eucalyptus woodlots was conducted using 54 randomly selected plots (10 m × 10 m) to assess biomass carbon and soil organic carbon (SOC). The resource base was estimated using Sentinel-2 imagery. Data were analyzed using an independent samples t-test in SPSS. The results revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in biomass and soil carbon between the agroecological zones. The highland agroecology exhibited higher mean values for aboveground biomass carbon (AGC: 18.37 Mg C ha–1), belowground biomass carbon (BGC: 4.7 Mg C ha–1), and SOC (63.68 Mg C ha–1) compared to the midland agroecology, which recorded 16.52 Mg C ha–1, 4.2 Mg C ha⁻–1, and 60.37 Mg C ha–1, respectively. The classified imagery showed that Eucalyptus woodlots cover 3116.73 ha, accounting for 3.33% of Borena Woreda. This study concludes that Eucalyptus woodlots have significant carbon sequestration potential and recommends further research on their management practices.