Comparative Analysis of the Carbon Stock Potential of Native– and Exotic–dominated stands in Camp John Hay Forest Reserve, Baguio City, Philippines

Lacadin, Emmanuel B.

Camp John Hay Forest Reserve (CJHFR) accounts for more than half of the remaining forest cover of Baguio City. In the face of urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss, such urban greenspace (UGS) becomes a critical locus for climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Reports indicate that a proliferation of exotic tree species is occurring in the CJHFR. This research quantified and compared the carbon stocks in the tree biomass and soil of native pine- (NPDS), native broadleaf- (NBDS), and exotic-dominated stands (EDS) in the UGS. Allometric computation and standard laboratory analysis of soil carbon indicated that the total carbon density of each stand type was 327,65 MgC/ha, 277.72MgC/ha, 417.24 MgC/ha, respectively. PERMANOVA results showed that this difference in values was not statistically significant (pseudo F= 1.886, p=0.1361). Given that tolerance for exotic-dominated stand in UGS is often premised on their regulating services, and findings indicate the comparable stocking capability of stands regardless of the origin of distribution (i.e., if native or exotic) of the dominant tree, conservation measures to protect the native ecosystem should be prioritized. Moreover, the CO2 eq. of the Forest Reserve was pegged at 346,959.05 MgCO2 e.g. which can potentially neutralize 55.12% of the total carbon footprint of Baguio City. Depending on the pricing mechanism, such could be valued between 1.63 to 27.75 million USD. This highlights the importance and conservation value of keeping UGS intact in a rapidly urbanizing city.