New book in UAE explores date palm trees’ role in fighting climate change

New book in UAE explores date palm trees’ role in fighting climate change

Date palm cultivation is considered a part of the agricultural system in the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as arid and semi-arid regions in general. Date palms serve multiple purposes, providing not only economic benefits but also environmental advantages, says the book. They are recognised as effective “carbon sinks” in arid regions, storing carbon in both the biomass of date palms and the soil in which they are planted.

The author developed equations to estimate the biomass and, consequently, stored carbon of date palms using field measurements (crown area and trunk height of the date palm). These equations were specifically tailored for date palm plantations in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, which constitutes the geographical scope of the study and can, the book says, be applied in other similar arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Also, the study revealed the percentages of carbon stored in above-ground biomass (crown and trunk) and below-ground biomass (root systems) of the date palms, as well as the organic carbon added to the soil where the date palms are planted.

The author used different types of satellite imagery to map accurately date palm plantations in the emirate of Abu Dhabi at different growth stages