Tree Inventory and Carbon Stock Assessment of Agroforestry Farm in Barangay Magapuy, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines

Mitigating Climate Change is a crucial effort in conserving biodiversity, food security, and public health. Embracing advanced technologies and management practices, such as agroforestry, plays a vital role in mitigating global temperature rise, which is the most pressing environmental issue worldwide. The agroforestry system plays a key role in sequestering carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change through absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and converting it into food by plants in the process called photosynthesis. This study consequently aims to assess the trees present in the area and generate data to determine the carbon stocks located at Magapuy, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. The study employed methods that includes measuring diameter at breast height (DBH), merchantable height (MH), and total height (TH). Furthermore, purposive sampling techniques were used in this study. The result shows that a total of 114 tree species were recorded and classified by biogeographic origin, including native (57.9%), naturalized (24.6%), cultivated (9.6%), endemic (7.0%), and one cryptogenic species. The results revealed that 66 tree species with DBH ≥ 5 cm accumulated an aboveground biomass of 207.20 Mg/ha and a corresponding carbon stock of 96.86 Mg/ha. Gmelina arborea had the highest individual carbon contribution. Additionally, 44 species with DBH < 5 cm stored a total of 12,487.44 Mg/ha of carbon, further emphasizing the carbon sequestration potential of young and regenerating trees. These findings confirm that agroforestry systems not only home of a mixed species, including native, endemic and threatened species, but also serve as effective carbon sinks. In general, the study highlights the importance of agroforestry as a nature-based solution for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable rural development.

Keywords: Agroforestry; Biodiversity conservation; Climate change; Carbon stock; Food security.