Land cover change and carbon sequestration dynamics in a tropical karst landscape under secondary forest regeneration

Abstract

Karst ecosystems are often overlooked in national carbon calculations, despite having unique organic and inorganic carbon storage mechanisms.This study aims to analyze the dynamics of land cover and carbon storage capacity in the Bantimurung Sub-Watershed, Maros-Pangkep Karst Area, over a period of one decade (2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020)(2021)(2022)(2023)(2024).The research method uses the integration of multitemporal spatial analysis based on satellite imagery and high-level field measurements (Tier 3) according to the SNI 7724:2019 standard.The mapping results showed significant vegetation restoration, characterized by the expansion of secondary dryland forests of 229.48 ha, the majority of which came from open land conversion and mixed dryland agriculture.Terrestrial measurements revealed that these ecosystems hold an average carbon reserve of 177.89 tonnes C/ha, a value that has exceeded the national average for secondary forests and is equivalent to the quality of primary forests.In a span of ten years, the total carbon stocks in the study area increased by 29,909 tonnes C, proving the effectiveness of natural succession under the protected status of national parks.These findings confirm the importance of using site-specific carbon data as a technical basis in climate change mitigation planning and achieving Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 target in karst ecosystems.

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