Assessment of Carbon Sequestration by Herbs and Soil in Wetlands of Bhopal District of Central India

Abstract Wetlands in urban areas act as natural buffers that control floods, mitigate fire risks, and regulate local climates, helping to reduce the impact of extreme weather events on communities. Quantification of carbon stocks is critical to evaluate the potential of an ecosystem to mitigate the impact of global climate change and the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration from industries, burning of fossil fuels and deforestation causes greenhouse gases (GHGs). Hence, vegetation near wetlands in terms of agroforestry, plantation, and reforestation has been suggested as one of the most appropriate land management systems for mitigating atmospheric CO2 through the photosynthesis process. Forest ecosystems also contribute to storing more than 80% of all terrestrial aboveground Carbon and more than 70% of all soil organic carbon (SOC). We studied natural herbs, grasses, and soil near the wetland ecosystem in Madhya Pradesh, India to understand how much vegetation and soil are applicable for the capturing of carbon in urban areas as a carbon pool or carbon reservoir among the sites. Results indicated that the biomass of the wetland (near natural ecosystem) was 1.68 t ha-1 while the wetland (near manmade ecosystem) was 0.83 t ha-1. The total carbon stock in wetlands ranges between 16.34 t C ha− 1 to 23.28 t C ha− 1. Higher biomass accumulation and carbon stock were recorded in wetlands which are near natural ecosystems or away from human interferences. Proper efforts are required to manage these diverse ecosystems to obtain higher biomass and sustainable ecological services.