Remote Sensing Assessment of Carbon Sequestration in Pine Forests (Pinus Sylvestris L.) on Fallow Lands of the Nasibash Site of the Eurasia Carbon Polygon

A remote assessment of carbon sequestration was carried out on former arable lands (Republic of Bashkortostan, Eurasian Carbon Polygon, Yangan-Tau Geopark, Nasibash site) overgrown with pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Samples of woody and herbaceous plants were collected from eight sample plots located in stands at different stages of succession (1st, 3rd, 4th, and 4th sparse). The reserve of phytomass and the carbon content in living phytomass (trunk, needles, branches, herbaceous plants) and mortmass were estimated. The carbon stock for each succession stage was calculated. The greatest change in carbon reserves was noted for pine stands at the 4th stage of succession, an average of 2.7 t/ha per year. A correlation analysis was carried out between the values of carbon stock and data on tree height obtained as a result of laser scanning, as well as the values of some vegetation indices. The results showed that it is possible to estimate the dynamics of changes in carbon stock in a forest stand based on tree height data (R2 = 0.85) and by the values of the NDVI vegetation index (R2 = 0.79).