Abstract
A study was conducted to investigate above-ground biomass and soil carbon stock of religious compounds in different age groups of Hawass city administration, Ethiopia. First, take a list of religious compounds from Hawasa city administration 54 compounds were recorded, then by using age group of compounds as criteria for classifying into three age groups, ten religious compounds from different religious types were selected in stratified random sampling.
The strata were three age groups of compounds, those 50 and above years, age group one, those 30-50 years old, age group two, and those below 30 years represent age group 3. Biomass and twenty-three plots for soil samples All woody species DBH ≥5cm and height at1.30 cm were measured by caliper and digital tap meter from 36 plots. and soil samples were collected from 23 plots and relationships between religious compounds age group and tree parameters in each compound (ACD, BCD.SOC), along with age group of religious compounds) was (218.60 ±43.523 193.98±65.07 176.0±102.9), (58.83.±35.86, 50.44±16.92 50.29±33),(105.96±21.62, 94.37±26.17, 106.05±33.6) age group 1, age group 2, age group 3 respectively. The mean amount of ecosystem carbon stock contained in different religious forests of the study area was 351±26.7 tons/ha. A total of 32 woody species belonging to 18 families were identified, of which 59.6% were exotic whereas the remaining 40.4% were native. There was no significant difference (Above ground carbon stock and soil carbon stock among age groups, however, the compound age group showed a positive significant relationship with, carbon stock and, but not with soil carbon, and. Overall results confirmed that the religious forest of Hawassa city stored high above the ground, and remarkable soil, carbon were accumulating over the years. Thus forests in different religious compounds were playing an indispensable role in carbon sequestration in different carbon pools, the purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the age group of religious compounds on amount of carbon density in different carbon pools
Keywords: religious forest, religious compounds. Carbon sequestration climate change.
