CARBON STOCK POTENTIAL OF ROBUSTA COFFEE (Coffea canephora Pierre) FARMS

IN TABUK CITY, KALINGA, PHILIPPINES

Jefferson A. Himson1, Ryan P. Manuel2,

1
College of Forestry, Kalinga State University, Philippines, jeffhimson23@gmail.com
2
College of Forestry, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Philippines, nayrleunam@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to
generate aboveground carbon-stock
inventory data of Robusta coffee farms in INTRODUCTION
Tabuk City, Kalinga, Philippines. The sites
include coffee grown under shade trees. The In the last few years, the importance of
carbon-stock of shade trees, coffee plants
and leaf litter is calculated for each site. research on mitigation, i.e. reducing the
Results of the study showed that Robusta sources or enhancing the sinks of
coffee farm in Tabuk City, Kalinga,
Philippines can store the amount of 193.13 t greenhouse gases, especially mitigation of
ha-1 of carbon per hectare in its aboveground CO2, has been increasing due to climate
biomass. The shade trees store the largest
amount among the components which change effects (Ehrenbergerova´ et al.,
amounting to 166.46 t C ha-1. It is followed 2015). While forests play a key role in
by coffee plants which store amount of
23.18 t ha-1 carbon in its biomass. And the removing carbon from the atmosphere
last component is litter which also store the through photosynthesis, agroforestry
least amount of carbon among the three
components measured which amounting to systems seem to be an acceptable
3.49 t ha-1. This study recommends that the management of crop production, as well as
shade layer in Robusta coffee farms of
Tabuk City, Kalinga Philippines be made for CO2 mitigation through an increase in
more complex for increased carbon storage carbon stocks (Schroth et al., 2002); Shibu
and maintenance of biodiversity, as previous
papers suggest. Also Robusta coffee farms & Sougata, 2012). In agroforestry systems,
in Tabuk City, Kalinga Philippines can serve trees or shrubs are grown around or among
as carbon sink comparable to a forest due to
the presence of shade trees as one of the crops or pastureland (Nair, 1993 as cited by
component which gives the largest Ehrenbergerov’a et al., 2015), and the
contribution to carbon stock.
recognition of this system as a greenhouse
Keywords: Above-ground biomass,
Allometric equations, Carbon Stock, Carbon gas–mitigation strategy under the Kyoto
Dioxide, Carbon Sequestration, Coffee Protocol has earned it the right to be part of
farms, Robusta Coffee, Shade trees, Litter
the strategy for biological carbon
sequestration (Nair et al., 2009). The Another study from Costa Rica by Polzot
contribution that agroforestry systems, such (2004) on carbon storage in coffee
as shade-grown coffee production systems, agroecosystems estimates that the
make to this end cannot be ignored. As a aboveground carbon-stock of the coffee
result, there is an increasing need to quantify production systems ranges from 11.0 t C ha-
the amount of carbon stored in 1 to 31.6 t C ha-1 . In the study of Schmitt-
agroecosystems in order to determine their Harsh et al. (2012) in Guatemala he found at
contribution to climate change mitigation. that a coffee agroforestry system can store
Its results contribute to an overall 3 128 Mg ha-1. Another study by Noordwijk
understanding of climate change mitigation et al. (2002) in Sumatra found that
strategies, and exploring the environmental agroforestry coffee systems can store 82 Mg
benefits provided by coffee agroecosystems, ha-1 .
including the provision of habitat for
METHODOLOGY
biodiversity (Znajda, 2000, Hall, 2001).
Many studies have investigated the effect of Data Gathering

agroforestry systems on carbon storage. Biometric data such as Diameter at Breast

Some of these studies have compared Height and total height was gathered using
different types of pastures and crops and diameter tape and clinometer.
have assessed the effect of tree shading
Biomass Computation
(Soto-Pinto et al., 2010; Avila et al., 2001
Ehrenbergerova´ et al., 2015). Hergoulac´h Biomass for shade trees was computed using
et al. (2012) compared the greenhouse gas the formula developed Chave et al. (2005)
balance in two coffee plantations: a and for coffee plant by Segura et al. (2006).
monoculture and a culture shaded by Inga
Carbon Stock
densiflora, and found that the aboveground
In converting biomass of trees into carbon
carbon stocks in the coffee monoculture and
conversion factors is 0.45 as suggested by
the agroforestry system amounted to 9.8 ±
Hairiah (2002) for both trees and coffee.
0.4 and 25.2 ± 0.6 Mg ha-1, respectively. In
a study by Ha¨ger (2012) from Costa Rica,
he found that carbon stock in coffee
agroforestry farms was 92.6 ± 29 Mg ha-1.
RESULT 1. ALBRECHT, A & KHANDJI, S.T.
(2003). Carbon Sequestration in
Coffee Coffe Shade Litter Total
Farm e t ha Tree t t ha -1 t ha -1 Tropical Agroforestry Systems.
-1
ha -1 2. CAIRNS, M., BAKER, J., SHEA, R.
207.4 239.3
& HAGGERTY, P. (1995). Carbon
A 28.95 2 3.02 9
163.7 188.0 Dynamics of Mexican Tropical
B 20.81 3 3.52 7
Evergreen Forests.
368.8 389.3
C 14.17 7 6.29 3 3. GOODALL, K. (2013).
199.2 214.7
Conservation, Agroecology and
D 13.09 4 2.43 6
162.1 184.7 livelihoods: shade trees, birds and
E 19.88 5 2.76 8
farmer decisions in smallholder
207.8 232.7
F 21.95 9 2.89 3 coffee cooperatives of northern
Averag 218.2 241.5
Nicaragua. University of Vermont.
e 19.81 2 3.49 1
4. HAGER, A. (2012). The effects of
management and plant diversity on
Robusta coffee farm in Tabuk City, Kalinga,
carbon storage in coffee agroforestry
Philippines can store 19.81 t ha -1 in its
systems in Costa Rica. Costa Rica.
coffee component, 218.22 t ha-1 in its shade
5. HAIRIAH K, DEWI S, AGUS F,
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VELARDE S, EKADINATA A,
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RAHAYU S & VAN NOORDWIJK
Kalinga can store 241.51 t ha-1 of carbon per
M. (2011). Measuring Carbon Stocks
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VAN NOORDWIJK M. (2001).
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Methods for sampling carbon stocks
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Lecture Note 4B International
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