Richness of Forest Stands and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Storage in Urban Institutional Lands of Bukavu, D.R. Congo

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.