- D. T. Rajapaksha1*, D.D.G.L. Dahanayaka2, U.K.G.K. Padmalal2, W. M. D. N. Wijeyaratne1
1Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
2Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, The Open University, Sri Lanka
Cite this article: Rajapaksha, R.D.T., Dahanayaka, D.D.G.L., Padmalal U.K.G.K., Wijeyaratne, W.M.D.N., 2024. Estimation of carbon sequestration capacity of the Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka: A remote sensing based non-destructive approach. J. Appl. Sci. Innov. Technol. 3 (2), 106-110.
Abstract
Tropical forests play a critical role in capturing and storing significant amounts of carbon, thereby contributing substantially to the reduction of emissions caused by human activities. Wilpattu National Park (WNP) is the largest national park in Sri Lanka and consists of dense and sparsely covered forest ecosystems and Villu ecosystems. The main goal of this study was to estimate forest biomass and evaluate carbon sequestration for the year 2019 using advanced remote sensing methods and Sentinel 2 satellite images. A Geographic Information System (GIS) module was developed to compute and map key parameters including Normalize Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Above Ground Biomass (AGB), Below Ground Biomass (BGB), Total Accumulated Biomass (TAB), Total Carbon Stock (TCS), and Amount of Carbon Sequestration (ACS) for WNP. The accuracy of the model has been verified through the use of the calculated kappa coefficient for the NDVI. The average values for the AGB, BGB, TCB, TCS and ACS were 72.73 – tons per hectare (ton ha -1), 14.99 -ton ha -1, 86.72-ton ha -1, 40.76 – ton Carbon Per hectare (ton C ha -1) and 149.57 -ton C ha -1, correspondingly in WNP for the year 2019. The kappa coefficient accuracy of NDVI was found 92%. Evaluation of these findings points out that GIS modeling is a powerful method for assessing carbon sequestration and it is evident that tropical forests are indispensable in the storage of carbon on earth and help to mitigate the air pollution and climatic change.
Keywords: CO2 Sequestration; Wilpattu National Park; Remote sensing; Modelling
Scope: Environmental Management
