Assessment of carbon store by spruce plantations in forest ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan

¹ Issyk-Kul State University named after. K. Tynystanov, Department of natural sciences, 722200 Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
² Forest Research and Production Center named after. P.A. Ghan of the Institute of Biology of the National Academy of Sciences, 720071 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
³ Naryn State University named after. S. Naamatov, Department of natural science education, 722900 Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

^* Corresponding author: sarieva.g@iksu.kg

Abstract

High-altitude spruce forests of Kyrgyzstan are the main part of the forest system of Kyrgyz Republic. Due to the high ability of spruce for C (carbon) storage, the forests of Northern Kyrgyzstan (the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions) accumulate a large amount of C in their bark and wood. The total С stock in the forests of three regions with the largest area covered by the Tien-Shan spruce (Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Chui) is about 1901415 t. Additionally to the C storage the high-altitude spruce forests can fix a large amount of C per year, for example, only in the Issyk-Kul region the forests with the total area of 142360 ha and annual growth rate of 868396 m³ absorb approximately 514872 t C/year. These values indicate that spruce forests in Kyrgyzstan play a major role in C uptake and should be protected and continuously recovered by plantation and introduction. Further analysis of storage ability, emission and fixation of CO₂ by the forests ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan should be provided.