Several agroforestry systems prevail in different agro-ecological zones of Pakistan, and cover a remarkable area of 19.3 million hectares. They not only play an important role in slowing down CO₂ emissions, but also contribute to mitigating climate change. However, in many regions, the relevant effect of agroforestry systems on overall carbon (C) stock and their reliance on various factors are quite unidentified. This study was planned to assess the biomass accumulation and C stocks of different commonly practiced agroforestry systems (boundary, bund, scattered, agri-horticulture) and their constituent land use types (tree + cropland) through a non-destructive approach (allometric equations) in a semi-arid region of Punjab, Pakistan. The results showed that the highest plant biomass (87.12 t ha⁻¹) increased by 46%, 17%, 78%, and 339%, and C stock (42.77 t ha⁻¹) increased by 49.51%, 20%, 82%, and 361% in the boundary planting system compared to the bund, scattered, agri-horti and sole cropland, respectively. The soil organic carbon (SOC) stock at all three depths, 0–15 cm, 15–30 cm & 30–45 cm, was found in the following order: boundary planting system > bund planting system > agri-horti system > scattered planting system > agricultural system, with a maximum in the boundary planting system and minimum in the sole cropping system at all three depths. Overall, the total C stock of the ecosystem’s vegetation + soil C (0–30 cm) in the forested area was 275 t ha⁻¹, equating to 37 t ha⁻¹ in the agricultural system alone. Our results highlighted that agroforestry systems have the highest potential for C sequestration. We suggest that research and investment in agroforestry systems can be a successful way for Pakistan to achieve some of its climate change mitigation goals.

Urban sprawl causes changes in land use and a decline in many ecosystem services. Understanding the spatial patterns of sprawl and exploration of citizens’ perception towards the sporadic urban expansion and its impacts on an ecosystem to deliver services can help to guide land use planning and the conservation of the urban ecosystem. Here, we spatially examined land use changes in Multan, Pakistan, and investigated public perception about urban sprawl and its impacts on the quality and provision of ecosystem services, using a survey instrument. The spatial analysis of the historical land cover of Multan indicated an exponential expansion of the city in the last decade. Large areas of natural vegetation and agricultural land were converted to urban settlements in the past two decades. The citizens of Multan believe that the quality and provision of ecosystem services have declined in the recent past and strongly correlate the deteriorating ecosystem services with urban sprawl. Education and income levels of the respondents are the strongest predictors of urban ecosystem health literacy. Citizens associated with laborious outdoor jobs are more sensitive to the changes in ecosystem services. We concluded that the rapidly expanding cities, especially in the tropical arid zones, need to be prioritized for an increase in vegetation cover, and economically vulnerable settlements in these cities should be emphasized in climate change mitigation campaigns.

Adopting agroforestry practices in many developing countries is essential to combat climate change and diversify farm incomes. This study investigated the above and below-ground biomass and soil carbon of a citrus-based intercropping system in six sites (subdivisions: Bhalwal, Kot Momin, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Shahpur and Silanwali) of District Sargodha, Southeast Pakistan. Tree biomass production and carbon were assessed by allometric equations through a non-destructive approach whereas, soil carbon was estimated at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depths. Above and below-ground biomass differed significantly, and the maximum mean values (16.61 Mg ha⁻¹ & 4.82 Mg ha⁻¹) were computed in Shahpur due to greater tree basal diameter. Tree carbon stock fluctuated from 6.98 Mg C ha⁻¹ to 10.28 Mg C ha⁻¹ among selected study sites. The surface soil (0–15 cm) had greater bulk density, organic carbon, and soil carbon stock than the subsoil (15–30 cm) in the whole study area. The total carbon stock of the ecosystem ranged from 25.07 Mg C ha⁻¹ to 34.50 Mg C ha⁻¹ across all study sites, respectively. The above findings enable us to better understand and predict the carbon storage potential of fruit-based agroforestry systems like citrus. Moreover, measuring carbon with simple techniques can produce trustworthy outcomes that enhance the participation of underdeveloped nations in several payment initiatives such as REDD+.

Industries have been a major culprit in increasing carbonaceous emissions and major contributors to global warming over the past decades. Factories in the urban periphery tend to warm cities more as compared with rural surroundings. Recently, nature-based solutions have been promoted to provide solutions related to climate adaptations and mitigation issues and challenges. Among these solutions, urban trees have proven to be an effective solution to remove air pollutants and mitigate air pollution specifically caused by carbon emissions. This work was designed to assess the role of tree species in mitigating air emissions of carbon around the vicinity of various industrial sites. For this purpose, three different industrial sites (weaving, brick kiln, and cosmetic) were selected to collect data. Selected industrial sites were divided into two areas, i.e., (a) area inside the industry and (b) area outside the industry. The samples were collected from 100 square meters inside the industries and 100 square meters outside the industries. Five different trees species comprised of four replications were selected for sampling. About twenty trees species from inside and outside of the industries were measured, making it 120 trees from all three selected industries for estimating aboveground and belowground biomass, showing their carbon estimation. The results showed that Moringa oleifera depicted overall higher total biomass from both inside (2.58, 0.56, and 4.57 Mg ha⁻¹) and outside sites from all three selected industries. In terms of total carbon stock and carbon sequestration inside the industry sites, Syzygium cumini had the most dominant values in the weaving industry (2.82 and 10.32 Mg ha⁻¹) and brick kiln (3.78 and 13.5 Mg ha⁻¹), while in the cosmetic industry sites, Eucalyptus camaldulensis depicted higher carbon, stock, and sequestration values (7.83 and 28.70 Mg ha⁻¹). In comparison, the sites outside the industries’ vicinity depicted overall lower carbon, stock, and sequestration values. The most dominant tree inside came out to be Dalbergia sisso (0.97 and 3.54 Mg ha⁻¹) in the weaving industry sites, having higher values of carbon stock and carbon sequestration. Moringa oliefra (1.26 and 4.63) depicted dominant values in brick kiln sites, while in the cosmetic industry, Vachellia nilotica (2.51 and 9.19 Mg ha⁻¹) displayed maximum values as compared with other species. The findings regarding belowground biomass and carbon storage indicate that the amount of soil carbon decreased with the increase in depth; higher soil carbon stock values were depicted at a 0–20 cm depth inside and outside the industries. The study concludes that forest tree species present inside and outside the vicinity of various industries have strong potential in mitigating air emissions.

The rapidly increasing population of human beings in semi-arid areas is often considered as a major factor of land degradation. Only a few studies have examined the dynamics of human settlements on the composition, diversity, structure and palatability of range vegetation in Southern Punjab Pakistan. The current study aims to assess whether the distance from settlements had any effect on the range vegetation’s diversity and cover. In order to determine the impact of human settlements on the vegetation, the sampling area (Thal rangeland) was classified into three categories, i.e., Near (1–2 km from human communities), Away (2–4 km from human communities), and Far (4–6 km from human settlements). A total of 75 transects in all of the three sites were placed in the study sites. Along the transects, a quadrate of 1 m² after every 10 m was randomly placed. The study site yielded floral diversity of a total of 29 species, representing 23 genera and belonging to 9 families. Results showed that the areas away from the human communities had higher species diversity (20), while the site near to human settlements depicted lower diversity (14). It was observed that, although the site near to communities had lower diversity, it depicted higher plant density, while the highest diversity along with the lowest plant density was observed in sites away from the communities. The study concluded that the diversity of range grasses, especially desirable species, was affected by distance to human settlements. These findings could be useful to detect flora changes, establish habitat protection priorities and improve efforts for conserving natural landscapes.

To study the effect of high temperature, rice seedlings 20, 30, 40 and 50 d were kept at 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm water depth in a water pool. Meteorological findings indicated that water temperature varied up to 10 cm but became stable below this depth. Deep water inflicted higher tiller mortality, minimal increase in dry weight of aerial parts and leaf area, decrease in root length, and decrease in root dry weight especially at 20 cm water depth and produced an unbalanced T/R ratio (top versus root dry weight). However, deep water tended to increase plant length. These parameters, however, excel in shallow water. Older seedlings, with the exception of root dry weight, could not perform well compared to young seedlings in all physiological and morphological aspects. The study revealed that seedlings, particularly young ones, stand well in shallow water and can cope with high temperature.