Forest carbon stocks and fluxes in physiographic zones of India

The total estimated carbon stock in India's forest biomass varied from 3325 to 3161 Mt during the years 2003 to 2007 respectively. There was a net flux of 372 Mt of CO2 in ASP I and 288 Mt of CO2 in ASP II, with an annual emission of 186 and 114 Mt of CO2 respectively. The carbon stock in India's forest biomass decreased continuously from 2003 onwards, despite slight increase in forest cover. The rate of carbon loss from the forest biomass in ASP II has dropped by 38.27% compared to ASP I.With the Copenhagen Accord, India along with other BASIC countries China, Brazil and South Africa is voluntarily going to cut emissions. India will voluntary reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 20-25% by 2020 in comparison to 2005 level, activities like REDD+ can provide a relatively cost-effective way of offsetting emissions, either by increasing the removals of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by afforestation programmes, managing forests, or by reducing emissions through deforestation and degradation.Concentration of atmospheric CO2 has accelerated upward during the past few decades. In the last decade, the average annual rate of CO2 increase was 1.91 parts per million (ppm). This rate of increase was more than double, as compared to the first decade of CO2 measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory [1]. The implications of increased concentration of CO2 for climate and health of the global environment are topics of intense scientific, social and political concern. In contrast to economic globalization, no country can be left out of environmental globalization, as its consequences will sooner or later reach all. The direct solution to the problem is to reduce CO2 emission [2]. Forests absorb CO2 from atmosphere, and store carbon in wood, leaves, litter, roots and soil all acting as "carbon sinks". Carbon is released back into the atmosphere when forests are cleared or burned. Forests acting as sinks are considered to moderate the global climate. Overall, the world's f