Tree Carbon Stocks and Structural Baselines in Tropical Mining Concessions: Implications for Restoration and Environmental Monitoring

Nieto Ramos C.E.; Bernaola-Paucar R.M.; Ruiz-Blandon B.A.; Hernández-Alvarez E.; Carbajal Cuadros L.N.; Nieto Ramos L.A.; Alama-Flores M.; Cuadrado-Campó W.J.; Salcedo-Pérez E.; Colachagua-Calderon D.A. · Earth (Switzerland) (2026) · DOI: 10.3390/earth7040139

Resumen

Tropical mining landscapes require plot-based structural and carbon baselines to support restoration planning and environmental monitoring. This study estimated aboveground, root, and total tree carbon stocks across six mining concessions located in the Inambari River basin, Madre de Dios, southeastern Peruvian Amazon. Field inventories were conducted in 39 plots of 0.1 ha, where all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm were measured. Aboveground biomass was estimated using a pantropical allometric equation based on wood density, diameter, and height; root biomass was estimated using a baseline root-to-shoot ratio of 0.24; and biomass was converted to carbon using a baseline carbon fraction of 0.47. Structural attributes, biomass stocks, carbon stocks, diameter-size profiles, basal-area contribution by diameter class, and multivariate structural-carbon patterns were evaluated among concessions. The concessions differed significantly in measured structural attributes, and these differences translated into contrasting derived biomass and tree carbon estimates. Edmilot I showed the highest basal area per hectare, total biomass, and total tree carbon, reaching 118.34 Mg C ha−1, while Yesica recorded the lowest total tree carbon, with 58.54 Mg C ha−1. Most trees were concentrated in the 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm DBH classes, but intermediate and larger trees contributed disproportionately to basal area. Principal component analysis summarized the concessions according to a reduced set of non-redundant structural and carbon variables, with the first two components explaining 99.21% of the total variation. These findings show that mining concessions retain contrasting forest conditions and should not be treated as homogeneous units. Structural and carbon baselines can help identify internal differences among concessions, prioritize restoration actions, and improve environmental monitoring in tropical mining landscapes.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Huancavelica; Universidad Nacional Amazónica de Madre de Dios; Universidad Andina del Cusco; Universidad Nacional Autónoma Altoandina de Tarma