CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIALS OF SELECTED TREE SPECIES IN KANAWA FOREST RESERVE, GOMBE STATE, NIGERIA

The escalating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels driven by deforestation and industrialization necessitate urgent evaluation of carbon sequestration potentials of tree species. This study assessed biomass accumulation and carbon sequestration capacities of five selected tree species (Acacia senegal, Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis Khaya senegalensis, and Syzygium cumini) in Kanawa Forest Reserve, Gombe State, Nigeria, to inform afforestation and reforestation strategies. Fifty samples from five marked plots per species were categorized into four diameter classes. Biomass estimation employed allometric models, and data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with species and diameter classes as a source variation. Results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) among species. Khaya senegalensis had the highest biomass accumulation (1,669.4 kg) and carbon sequestration (605.14 kg), while Syzygium cumini recorded the highest annual CO₂ sequestration (92.57 kg). Larger diameter classes correlated positively with increased biomass and carbon storage. Eucalyptus camaldulensis had the highest wood density (0.848 g/cm³). Correlation analysis indicated strong positive relationships between measured parameters (dbh, stem height, age, crown depth and width) and carbon sequestration. The findings underscore the pivotal role of tree size and species selection in enhancing carbon sinks. Recommending Khaya senegalensis for afforestation and reforestation initiatives aimed at mitigating atmospheric CO₂ in the study area and ecologically similar regions