The Study of Above Ground Biomass in Dry Forest of Kupang

East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract

The forest ecosystem is an important carbon sink and source as it contains majority of the above ground terrestrial organic carbon. The condition of East Nusa Tenggara forest is declining due to fire or logging activities. Sustainable management strategies are necessary to make this forest as carbon sink rather than source. To assess the forest’s carbon source potential, dry forest biomass is quantified 50 % of it is carbon. This study aims to estimate the above-ground biomass of the entire study area. The results show that total biomass per plot of research ranged between 47,543 and 100,266 ton/ha according to forest stand, where its contributed by understorey, litter, tree, standing dead tree, fallen woody debris and stump. The dry forest biomass was highest for the virgin forest (100, 266 ton/ha) followed by plantation forest (75,954 ton/ha) and savanna (47,543 ton/ha).