University campus carbon credits – do they matter?
Pondicherry university campus known for its floral diversity has lost majority of its tree cover due to the cyclone ‘Thane’. The storm damaged mostly huge trees with enormous girth, height and age. The horticultural wing of the university is devising to restore the greenery. An environmentalist view point is on three aspects.
- Combat global warming:
Among the native trees carbon storage is higher in Indian beech (Pongamia pinnata); Neem (Azadiracta indica); Cassod tree (Cassia siamea) and yellow rain tree (Cassia fistula).
In Indian cork tree (Millingtonia hortensis) carbon sequestration is more and isoprene emissions are negligible- both of which contribute to less global warming. More over it is one among the fast growing trees contributing to faster greenery. Copper pod, (Peltophorum pterocarpum) another fast growing native tree and Indian Cork tree are both native to South East Asia.
Among exotic trees Gulmohar (Delonix regia); Acacia (Acacia auriculiformis); and cashew (Anacardium occidentale) store more carbon.
- Quick restoration of greenery:
Fast growing native trees like Jamun (Syzygium cumini); Tree bean (Parkia timoriana) Mango (Mangifera indica) and Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) restore greenery at a faster rate.
Among the exotic trees fast growing are the African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis); Pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia rosea) Eucalyptus (E. Microtheca) which have more than 1.8 cm growth annually from our study.
- Native trees:
On a long term basis native trees – have their own advantage of growing fast harvest more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and at the end of the day do not step into endangered category.!
Let it be “BEST JUDGED”
Contributed by the Dept. of Ecology & Environmental Sciences
Pondicherry University
