Potential for Carbon Storage and Absorption of <i>Eucalyptus urophylla</i> Litter in the Mutis Timau Natural Forest, East Nusa Tenggara

Abstract Forests absorb greenhouse—gases from—the atmosphere—through photosynthesis and then convert–them into–carbohydrates and release oxygen. The Mutis forest area in Timau in East Nusa Tenggara is nicknamed “The Mother of Timor Island” because it supports the life of the people on the island. This research aims to estimate the storage and absorption potential of litter–carbon levels–in–natural–forests–of the– Eucalyptus urophylla type in production forests, protected forests, and conservation forests. Sampling used the stratified sampling method guided by the Landsat 8 ETM+ image results. The class division is divided into three based on the NDVI value, namely low, medium, and high vegetation carapace classes. A total of 270 traps, each measuring 1 x. 1 m were installed for this study. The results show that the carbon content of litter in production forests is approximately 6.10 MgCha −1 at its highest and 0.40 MgCha −1 at its lowest. In protected—forests, litter carbon—content—ranges—from—5.16 to 0.57 MgCha −1 . Meanwhile, in conservation forests, the litter carbon content ranges from 5.52 to 0.80 MgCha −1 . The potential for CO 2 e absorption varies between.–22.40 and 1.49 MgCO 2 ha −1 . This research underscores that the significant accumulation of litter on the forest floor contributes to annual forest fires. The homogeneous nature of the forest, coupled with minimal undergrowth, exacerbates the rapid spread of fire.