Total Ecosystem Carbon Stock (TECS) in Various Tropical Forest Ecosystems of South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua Province, Indonesia

The significant uncertainty concerning the role of South Sorong’s tropical forest ecosystem in the global carbon cycle is the lack of adequate data on the total carbon content of all its components. This study aimed to fill this data gap by calculating the total carbon stock in six South Sorong, Southwest Papua, and Indonesian forest ecosystems. The above-below-ground (root) carbon stock was calculated using several published allometric equations. The Walkey and Black and loss-on-ignition method analyzed soil carbon stocks. Aboveground live C-stock ranged from 51.9 to 105.5 Mg C ha-1 and soil C-stock from 52.91 to 1,124.3 Mg C ha-1, representing the two most significant C components in all plots. The C in litter (10.5 to 49.9 Mg C ha-1), dead and downed wood (0.2 to 2.9 Mg C ha-1) and roots (9.2 to 58.2 Mg C ha-1) accounted for less than 5.3% of the total C. The total ecosystem carbon stock ranged from 213.0 to 1,217.4 Mg C ha-1. More C was found in the peat swamp forest in six forest ecosystems, where deeper soil (organic sediment) was the main support factor. Both dried lowland forest ecosystem and peat swamp forest ecosystem are unique ecosystems that need to be considered in their management so that we can benefit from those present in local, regional, and global communities.