Carbon reserve in the Amaru-Huachocolpa-Chihuana Huancavelica cloud forest, Peru: Estimation and economic valuation

This research sought to perform an economic valuation of the carbon reserve in the aerial biomass (RCBA) of two types of vegetation cover in the Amaru-Huachocolpa-Chihuana Cloud Forest Regional Conservation Area (ACRBNA), Huancavelica, Peru. To this effect, we estimated the aboveground biomass of two 0.5 ha plots established in an altimontane mountain forest (P1) and a montane mountain forest (P2). The RCBA was higher in P2, with 36.78 tC (74 tC.ha^-1), reaching an economic value of USD$ 5726. The five species with the greatest contribution to the carbon reserve represented 46.61%. The RCBA value for P1 was 20.72 tC (41 tC.ha^-1), reaching an economic value of USD$ 3226, and the five species with the greatest contribution represented 70.27% of the total biomass value. These data facilitate the development of a carbon credit proposal and constitute the basic information for economically valuing carbon reserves.