Carbon and biomass stocks in a fragment of cerradão in Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed at quantifying carbon (C) and biomass stocks in shoot portion, leaf litter, roots and soil within a fragment of dense savanna ‘cerradão’, 158.5 ha in area, located in Minas Gerais state. Measures were quantified using dendrometric parameters obtained during the forest inventory and collection of leaf litter, root and soil samples. Furrows were dug in the soil each 100 cm long, 50 cm wide and 100 cm deep in order to collect root samples at depths of 0-30 cm, 30-50 cm and 50-100 cm, and soil samples from the layers 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-40 cm, 40-60 cm and 60-100 cm, as well as any leaf litter from the surrounding surface. Analyses were performed in the Organic Matter Study Laboratory (DCS/UFLA) to determine C contents in the above matrices, using an Elementar analyzer model Vario TOC Cube. Higher C contents and stocks and lower density were noted in topmost soil layers. In cerradão, shoot portion was found to be the matrix contributing the most to biomass production, followed by roots and leaf litter. Carbon stock in the fragment was 139.7 Mg ha-1. Soil was the matrix contributing the most to stocked C (64.8%), followed by the shoot portion (26.3%), roots (5.2%) and leaf litter (3.7%).