Impact of rainfall gradient on carbon storage in the dry woodland ecosystemo of Kavango and Zambezi

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Date

2018-04

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Abstract

Namibia is currently a signatory on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a non-Annex I party. As a non-Annex I party, Namibia is required to ‘provide information on greenhouse gas inventories’, but they currently lack sufficient baseline data. The study aims to answer whether increased rainfall increases the amount of carbon stored above and below ground for two important timber species (Burkea africana and Pterocarpus angolensis) found along the natural rainfall gradient in North-eastern Namibia. From this aim, three research objectives were set. The first is to compare whether rainfall results in statistically different non-destructive measurements in the tree species investigated. The second is to develop and compare different allometric models that link non-destructive measurements of trees to above and below ground carbon values, to determine which produces the highest accuracy (about 30% uncertainty level). The third is to determine whether rainfall influences woody biomass for either species.

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rainfall, dry woodland, Zambezi, Kavango, carbon storage

Citation

Nott, A.J. (2018). Impact of rainfall gradient on carbon storage in the dry woodland ecosystemo of Kavango and Zambezi. (Unpublished master's thesis). Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek.