Biomass, Carbon Stock and Economic Value of Carbon Sequestration Resulting from Forest and Landscape Restoration Actions in Semi-arid Ecosystems of Burkina Faso
Sibiry Albert Kaboré *
University Center of Tenkodogo/ Thomas Sankara University, 01 BP 1757 Ouagadougou 12, Burkina Faso and Laboratory of Study and Research on soil Fertility and Production Systems (LERF-SP), Rural Development Institute, Nazi BONI University, 01 BP 10 91, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Emmanuelle Quillérou
University of Western Brittany, UMR 6308 AMURE, IUEM, rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané Brest, France.
Stéphanie Maiga-Yaleu
Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.
Maguette Kairé
AGRHYMET Regional Center, Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel, BP 11011, Niamey, Niger.
Ibrahim Bouzou Moussa
Abdou Moumouni University, BP 10896, Niamey, Niger.
Oumarou Malam Issa
French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), BP 11 416, Niamey, Niger.
Damien Hauswirth
ECO-Consulting Group Niamey, Niger.
Hassan Bismarck Nacro
Laboratory of Study and Research on soil Fertility and Production Systems (LERF-SP), Rural Development Institute, Nazi BONI University, 01 BP 10 91, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Plants contribute to mitigate global warming by capturing CO2 from the atmosphere to produce biomass. This study aims to quantify the carbon stock sequestered in woody biomass of managed ecosystems in the semi-arid part of Burkina Faso (West Africa), and assess the economic value of additional carbon sequestered. Study sites include one managed forest and three agricultural lands restored from degraded soil. Forest and landscape restoration activities have been implemented over several decades and include zaï, stone barriers, natural regeneration and tree planting. Woody plant biomass is estimated using allometric equations which have been adapted to the case study site species and ecological conditions. The managed forest of the case study has an estimated 19.3-40.8 t/ha of woody biomass after 45 years. This corresponds to 0.7-1.5 tonne of CO2 per hectare per year stored on average, i.e. a value of $575-7,243 per hectare per year at current carbon prices. Payments to land users for carbon storage services may help provide alternative livelihoods and incentives for reforestation effort.
Keywords: Forest and landscape restoration, agroforestry, assisted natural regeneration, carbon sequestration, carbon payments