Plantations of Pinus and Eucalyptus replacing degraded mountain miombo woodlands in Mozambique significantly increase carbon sequestration

Total ecosystem C stocks in miombo woodlands (∼116 Mg ha−1) were significantly lower than in stands of P. taeda (363 Mg ha−1) and E. grandis (∼407 Mg ha−1). Carbon sequestration rate at ecosystem scale (NEP) was 7.24 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in P. taeda stands and 8.54 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in E. grandis stands. NEP was dominated by the increment in biomass (∼80%). This was also reflected in higher ratio between biomass C and soil organic C stocks in the plantations compared with miombo forest. The plantation species showed similar performance with respect to total C stocks and NEP. It was concluded that plantations of P. taeda or E. grandis have significant potential to increase C stocks and C sequestration rate in both soil and tree biomass on replacing degraded mountain miombo woodlands in the western highlands of Manica province.