title: Carbon storage in Ghanaian cocoa ecosystems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The recent inclusion of the cocoa sector as an option for carbon storage necessitates the need to quantify the C stocks in cocoa systems of Ghana.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using farmers' fields, the carbon (C) stocks in shaded and unshaded cocoa systems selected from the Eastern (ER) and Western (WR) regions of Ghana were measured. Total ecosystem C (biomass C + soil C to 60 cm depth) ranged from 81.8 to 153.9 Mg C/ha. The bulk (~89 %) of the systems' C stock was stored in the soils. The total C stocks were higher in the WR (137.8 ± 8.6 Mg C/ha) than ER (95.7 ± 8.6 Mg C/ha).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the cocoa cultivation area of 1.45 million hectares, the cocoa sector in Ghana potentially could store 118.6-223.2 Gg C in cocoa systems with cocoa systems aged within 30 years regardless of shade management. Thus, the decision to include the cocoa sector in the national carbon accounting emissions budget of Ghana is warranted.
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Nyankpala, PO Box 52, Tamale, Ghana.
authors.forename: Askia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Midmore
authors.affiliation: School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verhoef
keywords: Carbon stocks; Cocoa ecosystem; Shaded and unshaded cocoa systems