PJB-2023-495
ASSESSING THE ROLE OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS IN CARBON SEQUESTRATION THROUGH WOODY VEGETATION UNDER ARID CONDITIONS: A CASE STUDY OF BAHAUDDIN ZAKRIYA UNIVERSITY, MULTAN
Ghulam Yasin
Abstract
Urban green spaces, specifically trees have enormous potential for reducing the effects of climate change in cities by removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. Developing such green spaces on large university campuses can help to mitigate the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions and provide several other benefits. A case study was conducted to estimate the carbon stock and carbon sequestration potential (CSP) through the non-destructive approach, in the aboveground and belowground components of all live trees situated on the main campus of the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan. We measured tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH) of individual trees and applied allometric equations for the estimation of carbon storage. The campus harbors an extensive variety of 35 distinct tree species, collectively contributing with the total CSP around 564.9 tons. The findings also indicate that the highest total carbon (20.12 tons) was estimated for Eucalyptus camaldulensis followed by Vachellia nilotica (19.15 tons), Morus alba (15.12 tons), Azadirachta indica (12.82 tons) respectively. The lowest carbon storage capacity (0.12 tons) was demonstrated by Thevetia peruviana. This study emphasizes the significance of trees in addressing the carbon reduction challenges encountered by colleges and universities in Pakistan as well as in other regions. It provides a contextual understanding of the broader role of green areas, specifically trees, in contributing to the global movement towards sustainable universities and campuses.
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