Effect of amenity forests on metropolitan carbon management in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

Egwunatum, Anselm Enwelem and Christian, Julius C. (2022) Effect of amenity forests on metropolitan carbon management in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Plantation (Malaysia), 12. pp. 127-133. ISSN 2462-1757

Awka city is experiencing massive population influx and infrastructural development leading to increasing loss of remnant forest corridors with potential threat to air quality and shrinking capacity to sink carbon. This study assessed the capacity of five established amenity forest patches in Awka metropolis to sink carbon via the standing trees and underlying forest soils. The non-destructive method was used to determine critical carbon indices -diameter at breast height, dry weight of tree, and weight of carbon in CO2 sequestered in the trees while soils were sampled from 0.60m x 0.60m x 0.60m flat profile pits within individual amenity forest for moisture content, soil organic carbon, pH, and cation exchange capacities estimations. Data collected were analyzed with descriptive statistics and ANOVA while significant means were separated with DMRT at 5% level of probability. Results showed the State House of Assembly premises and UNIZIK PGS amenity forests had the highest (673.25 ± 56.42C/ha) and least (169.39 ± 7.05C/ha) tree carbon respectively but reversed for soil carbon. The highest cation exchange capacity(6.35cmol/kg) and moisture content (23.51%) in UNIZIK PGS underpinned this amenity forest along with the State House of Assembly (CEC =5.43cmol/kg) as the most potentially fitted nutrient-return and carbon management amenity forests respectively due to the higher litter residence times and return rates. This therefore revealed the non-concrete interlocking tiles model amenity forest as the most likely better urban forest platform for mitigation of various carbon footprints in Awka metropolis due capacity to increase below ground biomass.

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Abstract

Awka city is experiencing massive population influx and infrastructural development leading to increasing loss of remnant forest corridors with potential threat to air quality and shrinking capacity to sink carbon. This study assessed the capacity of five established amenity forest patches in Awka metropolis to sink carbon via the standing trees and underlying forest soils. The non-destructive method was used to determine critical carbon indices -diameter at breast height, dry weight of tree, and weight of carbon in CO2 sequestered in the trees while soils were sampled from 0.60m x 0.60m x 0.60m flat profile pits within individual amenity forest for moisture content, soil organic carbon, pH, and cation exchange capacities estimations. Data collected were analyzed with descriptive statistics and ANOVA while significant means were separated with DMRT at 5% level of probability. Results showed the State House of Assembly premises and UNIZIK PGS amenity forests had the highest (673.25 ± 56.42C/ha) and least (169.39 ± 7.05C/ha) tree carbon respectively but reversed for soil carbon. The highest cation exchange capacity(6.35cmol/kg) and moisture content (23.51%) in UNIZIK PGS underpinned this amenity forest along with the State House of Assembly (CEC =5.43cmol/kg) as the most potentially fitted nutrient-return and carbon management amenity forests respectively due to the higher litter residence times and return rates. This therefore revealed the non-concrete interlocking tiles model amenity forest as the most likely better urban forest platform for mitigation of various carbon footprints in Awka metropolis due capacity to increase below ground biomass.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	forests
AGROVOC Term:	carbon
AGROVOC Term:	soil
AGROVOC Term:	trees
AGROVOC Term:	litter size
AGROVOC Term:	moisture content
AGROVOC Term:	cation exchange capacity
AGROVOC Term:	carbon sequestration
AGROVOC Term:	measurement
AGROVOC Term:	urban forests
Geographical Term:	Nigeria
Depositing User:	Mr. Khoirul Asrimi Md Nor
Date Deposited:	20 May 2026 08:02
Last Modified:	20 May 2026 08:02
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/3916

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