TY  - EJOU
AU  - M, Pompa-García 
AU  - Jurado, E 

TI  - Carbon concentration in structures of <i>Arctostaphylos pungens</i> HBK: An alternative CO<sub>2</sub> sink in forests
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2015
VL  - 84
IS  - 2
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - <i>Arctostaphylos pungens</i> HBK is a dominant species with increasing abundance and distribution in chaparral ecosystems as a result of range management and, possibly, changes in climate. The value of this species for carbon (C) sequestration is unknown, and the standard 50% C out of total tree biomass is used as an approximate value. In this study, we aim to determine the C concentration of the primary components of <i>A. pungens</i>. The total C expressed as a percentage of biomass was determined with a <i>Solids</i> TOC Analyzer. We found the C concentration to vary among components. Leaves exhibited the highest C concentration (51.70%). Roots (46.11%), stems (47.30%), fruits (47.89%) and twigs (48.40%) had similar C concentration. These results provided superior estimates of C concentration, and reliable information concerning the potential use of <i>A. pungens</i> in climate-change mitigation programs.
KW  - Carbon sequestration
KW  -  Climate change
KW  -  Manzanita

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2015.84.385