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Peer-reviewedCC BYScientific Reports

Biomass carbon stocks and sequestration potential of remnant forests in the subtropical highlands of Ethiopia

  • Adamu Worku1
  • Yibeltal Anbes2
  • Fentahun Abere3
  • Tewabe Kefale3
  • Habtamu Tadele3
  • Agumasie Genet4
  • Ewunetu Tazebew5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Forestry and Climate Science, College of Agriculture, Food and Climate Science, Injibara University
  2. 2Department of Forestry, Burie Campus, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Debre Markos University
  3. 3Department of Natural Resource Management, Burie Campus, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Debre Markos University
  4. 4Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Bahir Dar University
  5. 5Department of Natural Resource Management, College of Agriculture, Food and Climate Science, Injibara University
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Abstract

Forest fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances adversely affect carbon sequestration by reducing forest structural integrity, biomass accumulation, and ecosystem functioning in tropical landscapes. In the northwestern Ethiopian highlands, forests persist mainly as highly fragmented remnants; however, the extent to which fragmentation alters their carbon sequestration potential remains insufficiently quantified. This study assessed the effects of forest patch size and disturbance intensity on carbon stocks across aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, litter, and soil organic carbon pools. Data were collected using 20 m × 20 m plots for trees, with nested 5 m × 5 m subplots for shrubs and litter. A total of 71 woody species belonging to 33 families were recorded across small, medium, and large forest patches. Large forest patches stored significantly (p < 0.05) higher carbon stocks, with 588.3 Mg CO2e ha−1 in biomass, 2.72 Mg CO2e ha−1 in litter, and 580.8 Mg CO2e ha−1 in soil organic carbon, compared with medium and small patches. Carbon stocks were positively associated with forest patch area and negatively with disturbance intensity. Protecting large forest patches, restoring degraded forest fragments, and improving landscape connectivity will be essential policy measures for enhancing carbon sequestration and maintaining ecosystem integrity in fragmented tropical landscapes.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{worku2026biomass,
  title = {{Biomass carbon stocks and sequestration potential of remnant forests in the subtropical highlands of Ethiopia}},
  author = {Adamu Worku and Yibeltal Anbes and Fentahun Abere and Tewabe Kefale and Habtamu Tadele and Agumasie Genet and Ewunetu Tazebew},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-62667-0},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62667-0},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Biomass carbon stocks and sequestration potential of remnant forests in the subtropical highlands of Ethiopia
AU  - Adamu Worku
AU  - Yibeltal Anbes
AU  - Fentahun Abere
AU  - Tewabe Kefale
AU  - Habtamu Tadele
AU  - Agumasie Genet
AU  - Ewunetu Tazebew
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Scientific Reports
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-026-62667-0
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62667-0
AB  - Forest fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances adversely affect carbon sequestration by reducing forest structural integrity, biomass accumulation, and ecosystem functioning in tropical landscapes. In the northwestern Ethiopian highlands, forests persist mainly as highly fragmented remnants; however, the extent to which fragmentation alters their carbon sequestration potential remains insufficiently quantified. This study assessed the effects of forest patch size and disturbance intensity on carbon stocks across aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, litter, and soil organic carbon pools. Data were collected using 20 m × 20 m plots for trees, with nested 5 m × 5 m subplots for shrubs and litter. A total of 71 woody species belonging to 33 families were recorded across small, medium, and large forest patches. Large forest patches stored significantly (p < 0.05) higher carbon stocks, with 588.3 Mg CO2e ha−1 in biomass, 2.72 Mg CO2e ha−1 in litter, and 580.8 Mg CO2e ha−1 in soil organic carbon, compared with medium and small patches. Carbon stocks were positively associated with forest patch area and negatively with disturbance intensity. Protecting large forest patches, restoring degraded forest fragments, and improving landscape connectivity will be essential policy measures for enhancing carbon sequestration and maintaining ecosystem integrity in fragmented tropical landscapes.
SN  - 2045-2322
ER  -