Woodlot Agroforestry in the Lower Volta Basin, Ghana: Contribution of Tree Species Admixture to Aboveground Carbon

Abstract

With current interest in obtaining financial rewards from sequestered C in tree plantation-management, it has become critical to begin examining many tropical wood species and their characteristic qualities to site-specific rainfall and drought issues which together influence growth performance in relation to ‘leakage’ avoidance, a potential for carbon marketing under CDM or REDD/REDD+. This paper presents a plot-level assessment of four different woodlot agroforestry establishments in relation to above ground carbon stocking. Based on the two regression equations for dry to moist conditions for estimating biomass, tree allometric-measure analysis were carried out on 3–4 ha woodlot agroforestry establishments at Bakpa Agboglakope, a rural community in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region. The study site constitutes part of the post dam floodplains of the lower Volta river now prone to severe drought. Results of the aboveground wood biomass (including necromass) measure for four-to-five sampled wood specie mixtures planted on a hectare plot ranged between 119.92–204.28 kg, which corresponds to approximately 59.96–102.14 tons C ha^-1. In addition, due to the number of woodlots established, it is certain that among the sampled districts, the enthusiasm towards tree-planting is no doubt likely to increase. If these efforts are sustained and supported across all other agroecological zones in Ghana, the agroforestry policy, in particular, woodlot management once encouraged as part of CDM or REDD/REDD+ could be successful.