Panama: APRONAD Presents Advances of the Forest Carbon Project

The technical team of APRONAD, presented this May 20, 2017, the progress of the Project: Reduction of GHG Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in the Republic of Panama (Voluntary Carbon Market, MVC).

The goal of the Project is to achieve the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), equivalent to 3 million carbon credits, which will be traded in the Carbon Market (MVC). Moreover, objective of the Workshop was to know the methodology and its application in the realization of forest inventories (carbon stocks), to agree the hiring of the company that will carry out the validation of the project, and to inform the procedures that are done for the opening and registration of the Project, a fundamental requirement to achieve the bond issue.

The activity was carried out in the community of Coclesito, District of Donoso, Province of Colón. National coordinators representing private forest owners throughout the country, as well as members of communities, all interested in conserving forests, were involved in the face of advances in deforestation and degradation.

The Workshop served to review the main results of the forest inventory (carbon stock) in the District of Donoso.

• Results of the Forest Inventory in the District of Donoso.

A Temporary Sample Plot was selected in the District of Donoso. The methodology used for the inventory survey consisted of a UM whose dimensions were 100m x 100m (Square), with four subplots at the vertices of 12m x 12m; Established to take information from the forest on biomass and carbon. The variables that were measured were: DAP at 1.30 m of the soil, total height, commercial height. In the entire UM, all trees with DBH ≥ 50 cm were measured; In the subplots, all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm. A 100 m transect was demarcated in the center of the plot to measure the necromass.

The study yields the following results:

The District of Donoso is home to the Tropical Humid Forest (bmh-T) according to Holdridge's classification of living zones; Is a zone of Very Humid Tropical Climate (Afi) according to the criteria used by Koppen. If we use the classification of the vegetation of Panama, in the District of Donosa predominates the Tropical Evergreen Forest with soils of type VI considering its agrological classification.

The data indicate that these forests store more than 140 t c / ha in the aerial biomass per hectare. If we compare our values with those of the inventory made in Donoso in 2016 by CEPSA and the one made for the Western Region of the Canal Basin by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), the values are very similar to both.

During the Workshop the following additional conclusions were discussed:

• The topography of the area is very irregular, with estimated slopes of up to 50%, which implies the loss of litter. In addition, since it is a forest with a broad canopy, the growth of grasses or other weeds is almost nil.

• The carbon in the soil is 72 t C / ha, reflecting its great richness in organic matter.

The complete inventory will be posted online after the Project (PPD) is validated and registered.

The results have been evaluated as positive. Inventories will continue throughout the country, in regions where forest owners, indigenous territories and grassroots community organizations are located.

• The validation of the Project.

Workshop attendees accepted the recommendation of the APRONAD technical team, to hire AENOR, with extensive experience in the validation of carbon projects in the forestry sector.

We recommend reading an article recently published in the corporate magazine of AENOR on the work on the GUATECARBON project in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala http://www.aenor.com/revista/pdf/ene17/24ene17.

• Project Registration.

APRONAD has initiated the procedures for the opening of an Account and the Project Register, in an international entity. Once confirmed this management, will be released the data of the account and its registry.

New forest inventories in the month of June 2017. 

New forest inventories will be made during the month of June 2007 in the following locations: 

• Province of Veraguas.

• Penonomé (Sub-Watershed of the Zarati River).

• Province of Los Santos.

• Province of Panama (East Panama).

• Community of Arimae (Collective Land Emberá Wounaan). In this case, the inventories have been carried out by international organizations, therefore, the Project (PPD) will be developed.