Assessing Carbon Sequestration and Biodiversity: A Comprehensive Study of Trees  at Dhurakij Pundit University

Pattanant  Petchchedchoo; Nuchar  Sathidpong; Nit Petcharaks

doi:10.59796/jcst.V15N2.2025.92

Authors

Pattanant Petchchedchoo Academic Affairs, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok, 10210 Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4479-0847
Nuchar Sathidpong Student Affairs, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok, 10210 Thailand
Nit Petcharaks Research and Development Affairs, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok, 10210 Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4209-3931

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V15N2.2025.92

Keywords:

carbon storage, CO2 sequestration, diversity, decarbonization, environment, sustainability

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: i) to develop a comprehensive tree database for Dhurakij Pundit University (DPU), involving counting and measuring the diameter at breast height (DBS) of 1.3 meters and had a stem circumference of at least 12 cm at breast height, ii) to evaluate CO₂ sequestration within the university campus by estimating the woody biomass of each tree using allometric equations and calculating carbon storage, CO₂ sequestration potential, and oxygen (O₂) production for each tree. Additionally, the Importance Value Index (IVI) and the Shannon-Weiner Species Diversity (SWSD) Index were calculated to identify the dominant tree species and assess overall species diversity. Data collection was conducted over a two-month period, from September to November 2023. The results indicated that within the 13.23-hectare campus, there were 191 distinct species represented by a total of 2,577 trees, with a tree density of 194.79 trees/ha and a total tree basal area of 107.91 m². The estimated carbon storage was 23.41 tC/ha, with CO₂ sequestration reaching 85.82 tCO₂/ha and oxygen production at 62.414 tO₂/ha. DPU's CO₂ sequestration rate of 4.29 tCO₂/ha/year reflected its dense tree population relative to other universities. The SWSD Index (H') of 3.7730 indicated high species diversity. Pterocarpus indicus exhibited the highest CO₂sequestration, while Ficus annulata had the highest IVI at 47.3091. This comprehensive database serves as a basis for future assessments of carbon sequestration on campus.

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