THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE TROPICAL DRY FOREST TO THE QUANTIFICATION OF FOREST BIOMASS AND CARBON IN THE SICARARE WETLAND: A Path Toward Environmental Sustainability

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.0973622601044

• Palavras-chave: : Forest biomass, carbon, Tropical Dry Forest, Sicarare Wetland, biodiversity, conservation, climate change, allometric models.

• Keywords: : Forest biomass, carbon, Tropical Dry Forest, Sicarare Wetland, biodiversity, conservation, climate change, allometric models.

• Abstract:

  The Tropical Dry Forest (TDF) is one of the ecosystems most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation processes. In Colombia, its capacity to capture and store carbon has been progressively diminished as a result of deforestation, land-use change, and the expansion of the agricultural frontier. In this context, the present study focuses on the Sicarare Wetland, located in Valledupar, with the aim of analyzing its role as a carbon sink. This research is particularly relevant due to the limited existing information on forest biomass and carbon storage in wetlands associated with the Tropical Dry Forest of the Colombian Caribbean region, which highlights the need to deepen our ecological and environmental understanding of these ecosystems (Chaturvedi et al., 2011; IDEAM, 2011).
  In line with the above, the main objective of the research was to estimate the biomass and carbon stored in the Tropical Dry Forest present in the Sicarare Wetland, based on a forest inventory aimed at generating information on the area’s biodiversity and developing predictive models tailored to local conditions. To this end, a non-experimental quantitative approach was adopted, involving the delineation of 400 m² plots, within which tree individuals were measured and allometric equations were applied to estimate biomass (IDEAM, 2011). Complementarily, geographic information systems were used to spatially represent the distribution of biomass, as well as biodiversity indices, including the Shannon and Simpson indices, to characterize the floristic composition and diversity of the studied ecosystem (Shannon, 1964; Simpson, 1949).
  The results showed that the wetland is home to a total of 457 trees belonging to 40 different species, with an estimated biomass of 75,438 tons and a carbon storage capacity of 552,373 tons. Likewise, a significant correlation was identified between tree diameter and accumulated biomass, which confirms the importance of the Sicarare Wetland as a carbon sink of high ecological significance. Consequently, this ecosystem is positioned as a strategic component for climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and the maintenance of ecosystem services in the region (Cavender-Bares et al., 2022; Jucker et al., 2014; Hooper et al., 2005).