A recent scientific study, which hogged the headlines, presented unforeseen findings on the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) located in Assam. The researchers found that the KNP is now discharging more carbon than it is able to sequester. The research also highlighted that if the global temperature continues to rise, the capacity of this park to absorb carbon would further deteriorate.
This discovery has lent a blow to the previous assumptions about ecological zones like the Amazon rainforest and KNP, which were believed to be primary carbon sinks. The research team discovered the highest absorption of carbon dioxide in KNP occurred in the pre-monsoon season during March, April, and May. They pointed out how essential trees and forests are for the process of photosynthesis, which involves absorption of carbon dioxide, while also releasing it during respiration.
Reasons for KNP Becoming a Net Carbon Emitter
The study revealed several reasons contributing to KNP’s shift from a carbon sink to a net carbon emitter. The unique soil of KNP, inhabited by a vast population of bacteria, releases carbon dioxide as a part of their respiration process. This release adds to the carbon dioxide discharged by other organisms, including trees, creating a surplus emission.
An observed decrease in photosynthetic activity due to increased cloud cover during monsoons was another cause. As this activity lessens, so does the forest’s ability to ingest carbon dioxide. This trend persists throughout the post-monsoon and winter months, which results in the forest being a net carbon emitter.
Another reason cited involved less rainfall from transpired water. The scientists analyzed the isotopes in the transpired water, noticing a correlation between the water and carbon cycles in the forest. There was a notable decrease in rainfall derived from transpired water during pre-monsoon months, which typically marks the highest carbon absorption period.
Important Information about Kaziranga National Park
KNP is situated in Assam and sprawls across 42,996 hectares, making it the single largest undisturbed and representative region in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. It was granted the legal status of a National Park in 1974 and has been recognized as a tiger reserve since 2007. With a total tiger reserve area of 1030 sq km, including a core area of 430 sq km, KNP plays a crucial role in protecting the big cats.
Internationally, KNP was conferred the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International, further highlighting its ecological significance.
KNP is globally known for housing the world’s most significant population of one-horned rhinos. The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, which boasts of the highest density of one-horned rhinos globally, houses the second-highest rhino population in Assam after KNP.
Conservation efforts in KNP are primarily directed towards preserving the ‘big four’ – Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger, and Asiatic water buffalo. Notably, KNP is also home to 9 out of the 14 primate species found in the Indian subcontinent.
The park has a rich water system with the Diphlu River running through it and more than 250 seasonal water bodies. The National Highway 37 adds to the diverse landscape of the park by passing through its area.
