India’s green cover absorbs more carbon than it emits annually, according to research from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal, with absorption exceeding emissions over the last ten years. Nevertheless, amid severe weather conditions like droughts, its absorption rate decreased. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE), which quantifies the equilibrium between carbon dioxide absorption through photosynthesis and its release through respiration, was the subject of the study.

According to Dr. Dhanyalekshmi Pillai, associate professor and leader of Max Planck Partner Group Germany at IISER Bhopal, the annual NEE estimations for India’s ecosystems ranged from 380 to 530 million tons of carbon annually. Although this amount of carbon sequestration is noteworthy, the rate of sequestration is not constant and tends to decrease in reaction to climate extremes, according to researcher and co-author Aparnna Ravi.

Impact of Vegetation Types on Carbon Absorption

The study investigated the role that various plant types play in sequestering carbon. According to Pillai, India’s evergreen forests are very effective at absorbing CO2 through photosynthesis. On the other hand, because plant respiration outpaced primary productivity, deciduous forests in central India emitted about 210 million tons of carbon per year.

Despite their lower capacity to absorb carbon per unit area compared to trees, croplands’ widespread distribution throughout the nation is essential for eliminating CO2 from the environment. In addition to stressing the value of vegetation in mitigating and adapting to climate change, the study cautioned that the potential for sequestration is finite, especially in the face of harsh weather.

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Advanced Technology for Carbon Sequestration Assessment

Scientists at IISER have created a new technology-driven method to evaluate the carbon sequestration capacity of plants throughout India in partnership with specialists from around the world, reinforcing findings that India’s green cover absorbs more carbon than it emits annually. The study used highly resolution satellite data, including the TROPOMI instrument on board the Sentinel-2 satellite, in conjunction with sophisticated physics-based computer models and observations of plant fluorescence.

According to Pillai, this approach offers a more accurate evaluation of ecosystem reactions than traditional global methods that don’t have enough in-situ carbon data. The study, which took place from 2012 to 2022, featured long-term analysis with research specialists from the National Remote Sensing Centre (India), the University of Exeter (United Kingdom), and the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (Germany).

For India’s green cover to continue and improve carbon sequestration, the results highlight the necessity of efficient climate policies and ecosystem management plans in line with national priorities.

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