Mediterranean shrublands as carbon sinks for climate change mitigation: new root-to-shoot ratios

The Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol are designated to restrict and reduce the emissions of GHG through three mechanisms, i.e., carbon sinks, bubbling schemes and flexibility mechanisms. All mechanisms are designed for developed countries Parties. The developing countries Parties do not have such obligations. However, the developing countries are given chance to participate in achieving the Protocol’s objectives through REDD+, especially to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in forestry sector. Indonesia has enacted several regulations for implementing REDD+ Program. To this date, Indonesia has had carbon project mechanisms and succeeded to realize 40 projects in the period of 2008-2012.Keywords: climate change, mitigation, REDD+. Konvensi Perubahan Iklim dan Protokol Kyoto dirancang untuk membatasi dan mengurangi emisi GRK melalui 3 (tiga) mekanisme, yaitu carbon sinks, bubbling schemesdan flexibility mechanisms. Semua mekanisme tersebut ditujukan untuk Pihak negara maju. Negara berkembang tidak dibebani kewajiban seperti itu. Tapi negara berkembang diberi kesempatan untuk berpartisipasi mencapai tujuan Protokol melalui REDD+, yang secara khusus dibuat untuk mengurangi emisi karbon dioksida di sektor kehutanan. Indonesia telah membuat beberapa peraturan untuk menerapkan Program REDD+. Sampai saat ini, Indonesia telah membuat mekanisme proyek karbon dan berhasil mendapatkan 40 proyek dalam kurun waktu 2008-2012.

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Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Forest Management Activities from 1990 to 2019 to Demonstrate Additionality for Climate Change Mitigation in the Forest Sector of South Korea

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12081003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 1003

Author(s):

Seunghyun Lee ◽

Sunjeoung Lee ◽

Hee Han ◽

Joungwon You ◽

Jongsu Yim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Forest Management ◽

South Korea ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Temporal Patterns ◽

Carbon Sinks ◽

Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽

Protected Forests ◽

Management Ratio ◽

Change Mitigation

Forest management is key to maintaining and increasing carbon sinks in forests. In the context of climate change mitigation, the exact number of carbon sinks associated with forest management is estimated as the additionality of activities, which means net greenhouse gas (GHG) removals or carbon sequestration over and above those that would have arisen even in the absence of a given activity. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal patterns of forest management activities to present the forest management ratio, of managed area to the total forest area, as an indicator of additionality in forest management in South Korea. Forest management activities based on the IPCC guidelines were spatially constructed, and the characteristics of managed and protected forests from 1990 to 2019 were analyzed. The results indicate that between the managed forests and roads, 90% of the management activities in private forests occurred within 214 m of the road, and 70% of the activities in the national forest occurred within 234 m. Management took place in easy-to-access places with gentle slopes and low elevations. The proportion of protected forests above 40 years old is 87.2%, higher than the average of 72% in South Korea, and it is expected that most forests will age and their carbon absorption capacity will decrease by 2050. The area of tree planting and thinning is approximately 290 thousand ha per year, which could potentially increase the forest management ratio by up to 4.5% per year. However, the actual increase was at an average of 1.4%, owing to the omission of exact information on management activities, such as spatial coordinates and overlapping practices in the same management unit. The forest management ratio in South Korea as of 2019 was 53.4%; therefore, the amount of GHG removal in the forest sectors was 53.4% of total absorption per year. Thus, it is necessary to make efforts to increase the ratio to enhance the contribution of forest sectors to climate change mitigation for the country.

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Valuing the Impact of Forest Disturbances on the Climate Regulation Service of Western U.S. Forests

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su14020903 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 903

Author(s):

Raymundo Marcos-Martinez ◽

José J. Sánchez ◽

Lorie Srivastava ◽

Natthanij Soonsawad ◽

Dominique Bachelet

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Bark Beetle ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Forest Carbon ◽

Social Costs ◽

Carbon Sinks ◽

Forest Disturbances ◽

Beetle Damage ◽

Carbon Losses ◽

Change Mitigation

The protection and expansion of forest carbon sinks are critical to achieving climate-change mitigation targets. Yet, the increasing frequency and severity of forest disturbances challenge the sustainable provision of forest services. We investigated patterns of forest disturbances’ impacts on carbon sinks by combining spatial datasets of forest carbon sequestration from biomass growth and emissions from fire and bark beetle damage in the western United States (U.S.) and valued the social costs of forest carbon losses. We also examined potential future trends of forest carbon sinks under two climate-change projections using a global vegetation model. We found that forest carbon losses from bark-beetle damage were larger than emissions from fires between 2003 and 2012. The cumulative social costs of forest carbon losses ranged from USD 7 billion to USD 72 billion, depending on the severity of global warming and the discount rate. Forest carbon stocks could increase around 5% under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 or 7% under RCP 8.5 by 2091 relative to 2011 levels, mostly in forests with high net primary productivity. These results indicate that spatially explicit management of forest disturbances may increase forest carbon sinks, thereby improving opportunities to achieve critical climate-change mitigation goals.

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Forest Carbon Sinks: A Temporary and Costly Alternative to Reducing Emissions for Climate Change Mitigation

Institutions, Sustainability, and Natural Resources ◽

10.1007/1-4020-3519-5_11 ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 233-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G. Van Cornelis Kooten ◽

Alison J. Eagle

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Forest Carbon ◽

Carbon Sinks ◽

Change Mitigation

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Section 2 report – Understanding potential climate change mitigation opportunities. South African national carbon sinks assessment

10.12774/eod_cr.december2013.knowletetal ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Tony Knowles ◽

Phoebe Boardman ◽

James Blignaut ◽

Worship Mugido

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

South African ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Carbon Sinks ◽

Potential Climate Change ◽

Change Mitigation

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Potentials of Protected Areas as Carbon sinks and Implication on Climate Change in Cameroon

10.46715/jescc2021.04.1000109 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Usongo P Ajonina

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Global Climate ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Local Population ◽

Forest Policy ◽

Carbon Sinks ◽

Change Mitigation

Cameroon has 115 000 km2 land area designated as Protected Areas (PAs), providing society with many ecosystem services including climate change mitigation. The study was aimed at examining the potentials of inland and coastal PAs as carbon sinks and implication on climate change mitigation in Cameroon between 1978 and 2014. Data for the study was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were used in the analysis of satellite imageries. The land cover change trajectory revealed a drop in the rate of conversion of dense forest within inland PAs compared to coastal PAs. Results reveaked carbon sequestration within inland PAs between 1978 and 2014 and the PAs were able to absorb166,590.73 tonnes/ha CO2 from the atmosphere and build up carbon resulting to the amelioration of the local and regional climate of the area with a positive impact on global climate change. Within the coastal PAs, there was 71,418.48 tonnes/ha CO2 emission through 1978 – 2014 with resulting negative impacts on the climate. The constraints to effective PA management identified were human and capital resource problems, hostility of the local population, delayance in law enforcement and poverty. To ensure their roles in climate moderation there should be a better forest policy implementation within PAs in Cameroon by making available more capital and human resources to PAs management to enable them cope in the face of growing anthropogenic threats.

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