• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.79-90
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• 2017

Improving the urban environmental quality relies mainly on the increasing of urban forests capacity to store carbon dioxide. This study assesses the floristic diversity of urban institutional lands in Bukavu and their potential to reduce atmospheric $CO_2$. An exhaustive inventory over three sites ($Coll{\grave{e}}ge$ Alfajiri, $Cath{\acute{e}}drale$ Notre-Dame de la Paix and Institut $Sup{\acute{e}}rieur$ $P{\acute{e}}dagogique$) of Bukavu led to the identification of 1,113 trees of which the diameter at breast height (1.30 m) ranged from 4.9 to 161 cm. Results reveal a floristic diversity made up of 4 families of conifers with 4 species and 14 of broadleaves with 21 species. Average densities were of $54trees\;ha^{-1}$ and $5.21m^2\;ha^{-1}$ of basal area. Urban-based allometric equations used yielded up to 312.8 tons of carbon stored in trees aboveground biomass equivalent to 1,147.9 tons of $CO_2$ reduced from the atmosphere over the three sites. The rate of carbon storage reaches $15.1tons\;ha^{-1}$. Thus, trees of the three institutional sites in Bukavu play an important role in reducing atmospheric $CO_2$ and contribute, thereby, to mitigate global climate change effects. Given the current environmental challenge associated with high population growth rate in cities, the urban forest ecosystem in DRC requires to be extended and further investigation.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.231-235
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• 2004

Landsat satellite images were analyzed to study vegetation change patterns of warm-temperate forests from 1991 to 2002 in Wando. For this purpose, Landsat TM satellite image of 1991 and Landsat ETM image of 2002 were used for vegetation classification using ENVI image processing software. Four different forest types were set as a classification criteria; evergreen broadleaf, evergreen conifer, deciduous broadleaf, and others. Unsupervised classification method was applied to classily forest types. Although it was impossible to draw exact forest types in rocky areas because of differences in data detection time and rough resolution of image, 2002 data revealed that total 2,027ha of evergreen broadleaf forests were growing in Wando. Evergreen broadleaves and evergreen conifers increased in total areas compared to 11 years ago, but there was sharp decrease in deciduous broadleaves. GIS-based management system for warm-temperate forest was done using Arc/Info. Geographic and attribute database of Wando such as vegetation, soils, topography, land owners were built with Arc/Info and ArcView. Graphic user interface which manages and queries necessary data was developed using Avenue.