Study estimates the amount of carbon stored by plants in Rio de Janeiro's Botanical Garden

The arboretum of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ) served as the basis for a study on the use of remote sensing data, transported by drone, to estimate biomass and carbon stock in tropical urban forests. The researchers measured the trunk diameter and height of more than 5,600 individuals in the arboretum, covering 89 families, 417 genera and 612 plant species. The total biomass of the 37-hectare area studied was estimated at 5,627 tons, with 2,813 tons of carbon stored, which translates into around 10,408 tons of sequestered CO2 equivalent, which is the main greenhouse gas.

The accumulation of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the main factor behind the rise in the surface temperature of our planet and, consequently, climate change, with the effects we are beginning to experience. "Trees and urban forests can contribute to mitigating climate change. And in this context, above-ground biomass (AGB) plays a key role by storing carbon in its living tissues,” write the authors of the article published in May this year in the Journal: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.

The study involved specialists from the JBRJ and also from the Military Engineering Institute and the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP).