Optimal on- and off-site forest carbon sequestration under existing timber supply constraints in northern New Brunswick

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 2784-2796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric T. Neilson ◽  
David A. MacLean ◽  
Fan-Rui Meng ◽  
Chris R. Hennigar ◽  
Paul A. Arp
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Management Area ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Forest C

We describe a procedure to maximize carbon (C) sequestration and apply it to a 428 000 ha industrial forest management area in northern New Brunswick, Canada. Stand-specific C yield tables and C residency periods in harvested wood products were used as inputs to a linear programming model to maximize on- and off-site C sequestration in forest land. Five management scenarios were evaluated. A scenario that maximized on-site forest C sequestration for 80 years, respecting “business-as-usual” harvest constraints, projected an extra 3 t C·ha–1 across the forest management area compared with the business-as-usual scenario, with net C storage potential (forest C + forest C in products – emissions produced from decayed wood products) resulting in approximately 1 Mt C. A scenario to double softwood harvest led to a projected decrease in the forest C pool by approximately 5 t C·ha–1 from 2007 to 2082 and overall storage decrease of almost 2 Mt C from the base run. Other scenarios to increase or decrease harvest volumes by 10% resulted in overall C storage increases of 1.6 Mt C and almost 2.7 Mt C, respectively, above the base run. All scenarios resulted in net sinks of C after the 80 year simulation.

scholarly journals Higher stand densities can promote soil carbon storage after conversion of temperate mixed natural forests to larch plantations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Na ◽  
Xiaoyang Sun ◽  
Yandong Zhang ◽  
Zhihu Sun ◽  
Johannes Rousk
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Soil C Storage ◽  
Soil C Sequestration

AbstractSoil carbon (C) reservoirs held in forests play a significant role in the global C cycle. However, harvesting natural forests tend to lead to soil C loss, which can be countered by the establishment of plantations after clear cutting. Therefore, there is a need to determine how forest management can affect soil C sequestration. The management of stand density could provide an effective tool to control soil C sequestration, yet how stand density influences soil C remains an open question. To address this question, we investigated soil C storage in 8-year pure hybrid larch (Larix spp.) plantations with three densities (2000 trees ha−1, 3300 trees ha−1 and 4400 trees ha−1), established following the harvesting of secondary mixed natural forest. We found that soil C storage increased with higher tree density, which mainly correlated with increases of dissolved organic C as well as litter and root C input. In addition, soil respiration decreased with higher tree density during the most productive periods of warm and moist conditions. The reduced SOM decomposition suggested by lowered respiration was also corroborated with reduced levels of plant litter decomposition. The stimulated inputs and reduced exports of C from the forest floor resulted in a 40% higher soil C stock in high- compared to low-density forests within 8 years after plantation, providing effective advice for forest management to promote soil C sequestration in ecosystems.

scholarly journals Presenting MASSIMO: A Management Scenario Simulation Model to Project Growth, Harvests and Carbon Dynamics of Swiss Forests

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golo Stadelmann ◽  
Christian Temperli ◽  
Brigitte Rohner ◽  
Markus Didion ◽  
Anne Herold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Reference Levels ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Development Models ◽  
Management Scenario ◽  
Species Mixture ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Business As Usual

Forest development models have been used to predict future harvesting potentials and forest management reference levels under the Kyoto guidelines. This contribution aims at presenting the individual-tree simulator MASSIMO and demonstrating its scope of applications with simulations of two possible forest management reference levels (base or business as usual) in an example application. MASSIMO is a suitable tool to predict timber harvesting potentials and forest management reference levels to assess future carbon budgets of Swiss forests. While the current version of MASSIMO accurately accounts for legacy effects and management scenarios, effects of climate and nitrogen deposition on growth, mortality, and regeneration are not yet included. In addition to including climate sensitivity, the software may be further improved by including effects of species mixture on tree growth and assessing ecosystem service provision based on indicators.

Spruce budworm and management effects on forest and wood product carbon for an intensively managed forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 1736-1750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris R. Hennigar ◽  
David A. MacLean
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Wood Product ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Insecticide Application ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Biological Insecticide ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Forest C

An integrated forest management optimization model was developed to calculate potential spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) effects on forest and wood product carbon (C) from 2007 to 2057 and to evaluate potential C sequestration benefits of alternative management strategies (salvage, biological insecticide application). The model was tested using simulated spruce budworm outbreaks on a 210 000 ha intensively managed forest in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Under a severe spruce budworm outbreak scenario from 2007 to 2020, harvest volume and forest and wood product C storage in 2027 were projected to be reduced by 1.34 Mm3, 1.48 Mt, and 0.26 Mt, respectively, compared with the levels under no defoliation. Under the same severe outbreak scenario, implementation of salvage and harvest replanning plus a biological insecticide applied aerially to 40% of susceptible forest area, reduced harvest, forest C, and wood product C impacts by 73%, 41%, and 56%, respectively. Extrapolation of these results to all of New Brunswick suggests that a future severe spruce budworm outbreak could effectively increase total provincial annual C emissions (all sources) by up to 40%, on average, over the next 20 years. This modeling approach can be used to identify to what extent insecticide application, as a forest-C-offset project, could result in additional C storage than without forest and pest management.

scholarly journals Quantifying the biophysical climate change mitigation potential of Canada's forest sector

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 441-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Smyth ◽  
G. Stinson ◽  
E. Neilson ◽  
T. C. Lemprière ◽  
M. Hafer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Mitigation Scenarios ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Decay Times

Abstract. The potential of forests and the forest sector to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is widely recognized, but challenging to quantify at a national scale. Forests and their carbon (C) sequestration potential are affected by management practices, where wood harvesting transfers C out of the forest into products, and subsequent regrowth allows further C sequestration. Here we determine the mitigation potential of the 2.3 × 106 km2 of Canada's managed forests from 2015 to 2050 using the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3), a harvested wood products model that estimates emissions based on product half-life decay times, and an account of emission substitution benefits from the use of wood products and bioenergy. We examine several mitigation scenarios with different assumptions about forest management activity levels relative to a base-case scenario, including improved growth from silvicultural activities, increased harvest and residue management for bioenergy, and reduced harvest for conservation. We combine forest management options with two mitigation scenarios for harvested wood product use involving an increase in either long-lived products or bioenergy uses. Results demonstrate large differences among alternative scenarios, and we identify potential mitigation scenarios with increasing benefits to the atmosphere for many decades into the future, as well as scenarios with no net benefit over many decades. The greatest mitigation impact was achieved through a mix of strategies that varied across the country and had cumulative mitigation of 254 Tg CO2e in 2030, and 1180 Tg CO2e in 2050. We conclude that (i) national-scale forest sector mitigation options need to be assessed rigorously from a systems perspective to avoid the development of policies that deliver no net benefits to the atmosphere, (ii) a mix of strategies implemented across the country achieves the greatest mitigation impact, and (iii) because of the time delays in achieving carbon benefits for many forest-based mitigation activities, future contributions of the forest sector to climate mitigation can be maximized if implemented soon.

scholarly journals Quantifying the biophysical climate change mitigation potential of Canada's forest sector

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 3515-3529 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Smyth ◽  
G. Stinson ◽  
E. Neilson ◽  
T. C. Lemprière ◽  
M. Hafer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Mitigation Scenarios ◽  
Decay Times

Abstract. The potential of forests and the forest sector to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is widely recognized, but challenging to quantify at a national scale. Forests and their carbon (C) sequestration potential are affected by management practices, where wood harvesting transfers C out of the forest into products, and subsequent regrowth allows further C sequestration. Here we determine the mitigation potential of the 2.3 × 106 km2 of Canada's managed forests from 2015 to 2050 using the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3), a harvested wood products (HWP) model that estimates emissions based on product half-life decay times, and an account of emission substitution benefits from the use of wood products and bioenergy. We examine several mitigation scenarios with different assumptions about forest management activity levels relative to a base case scenario, including improved growth from silvicultural activities, increased harvest and residue management for bioenergy, and reduced harvest for conservation. We combine forest management options with two mitigation scenarios for harvested wood product use involving an increase in either long-lived products or bioenergy uses. Results demonstrate large differences among alternative scenarios, and we identify potential mitigation scenarios with increasing benefits to the atmosphere for many decades into the future, as well as scenarios with no net benefit over many decades. The greatest mitigation impact was achieved through a mix of strategies that varied across the country and had cumulative mitigation of 254 Tg CO2e in 2030, and 1180 Tg CO2e in 2050. There was a trade-off between short-term and long-term goals, in that maximizing short-term emissions reduction could reduce the forest sector's ability to contribute to longer-term objectives. We conclude that (i) national-scale forest sector mitigation options need to be assessed rigorously from a systems perspective to avoid the development of policies that deliver no net benefits to the atmosphere, (ii) a mix of strategies implemented across the country achieves the greatest mitigation impact, and (iii) because of the time delays in achieving carbon benefits for many forest-based mitigation activities, future contributions of the forest sector to climate mitigation can be maximized if implemented soon.

Impact of global change and forest management on carbon sequestration in northern forested peatlands

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lavoie ◽  
David Paré ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Short Time Scale ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Central Canada ◽  
Northern Peatlands

Northern peatlands occupy approximately 4% of the global land surface and store about 30% of the global soil carbon (C). A compilation of C accumulation rates in northern peatlands indicated a long-term average rate of C accumulation of 24.1 g m–2 year–1. However, several studies have indicated that on a short-time scale and given the proper conditions, these ecosystems can exhibit very high rates of C accumulation (up to 425 g m–2 year–1). Peatland development is related to precipitation and temperature, and climate change is expected to have an important impact on the C balance of this ecosystem. Given the expected climate change, we suggest that most of the northern forested peatlands located in areas where precipitation is expected to increase (eastern Canada, Alaska, FSU, and Fennoscandia) will continue to act as a C sink in the future. In contrast, forested peatlands of western and central Canada, where precipitation is predicted to decrease, should have a reduction in their C sequestration rates and (or) could become a C source. These trends could be affected by forest management in forested peatlands and by changes in fire cycles. Careful logging, as opposed to wildfire, will facilitate C sequestration in forested peatlands and boreal forest stands prone to paludification while silvicultural treatments (e.g., drainage, site preparation) recommended to increase site productivity will enhance C losses from the soil, but this loss could be compensated by an increase in C storage in tree biomass.Key words: C sequestration, forested peatland, paludification, greenhouse gases, climate change, forest management.

Modeling the effects of varied forest management regimes on carbon dynamics in jack pine stands under climate change

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 469-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weifeng Wang ◽  
Changhui Peng ◽  
Daniel D. Kneeshaw ◽  
Guy R. Larocque ◽  
Xiangdong Lei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Climate Scenario ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Rotation Length ◽  
Positive Effects

Climate change and its potential effects on ecosystems justify the need to implement forest management strategies that increase carbon (C) sequestration. A process-based model, TRIPLEX-Management, was used to investigate how to increase C sequestration within managed jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) forests. The simulations included a constant climate scenario and two climate change scenarios generated from the Coupled Global Climate Model (CGCM 3.1). A total of 36 forest management scenarios (a control where no forest management occurred, five varied rotation length harvesting-only regimes, and combinations of six thinning regimes and five rotation lengths) were simulated under each climate scenario for nine sites characterized by stocking levels from 0.3 to 0.7. A significant increase in C sequestration was generated under the climate change scenarios compared with those under constant climate. Mean annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) varied with rotation length, but was not changed by precommercial thinning. Future studies should consider life cycle analysis of harvested wood products as in this study they were assumed to be a permanent C sink. Climate warming might enhance limited positive effects of forest thinning on C sequestration. Shortening rotation length from 70–80 years to 50 years might enhance NEP, increase wood production, and decrease the risk of climate change impacts on jack pine forests.

scholarly journals Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1667
Author(s):  
Gabriel Landry ◽  
Evelyne Thiffault ◽  
Dominic Cyr ◽  
Lucas Moreau ◽  
Yan Boulanger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Substitution Effect ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Forest Ecotone

The forest sector can help reduce atmospheric CO2 through carbon (C) sequestration and storage and wood substitution of more polluting materials. However, climate change can have an impact on the C fluxes we are trying to leverage through forestry. We calculated the difference in CO2 eq. fluxes between ecosystem-based forest management and total forest conservation in the context of the temperate-boreal forest ecotone of Quebec (Canada), taking into account fluxes from forest ecosystems, wood product life cycle, and the substitution effect of wood products on markets. Over the 2020–2120 period, in the absence of climate change, ecosystem-based forest management and wood production caused average net annual emissions of 66.9 kilotonnes (kt) of CO2 eq. year−1 (relative to forest conservation), and 15.4 kt of CO2 eq. year−1 when assuming a 100% substitution effect of wood products. While management increased the ecosystem C sink, emissions from degradation of largely short-lived wood products caused the system to be a net source. Moreover, climate warming would decrease the capacity of ecosystems to sequester C and cause a shift towards more hardwood species. Our study highlights the need to adapt the industrial network towards an increased capacity of processing hardwoods into long-lived products and/or products with high substitution potential.

scholarly journals Carbon storage and sequestration potential in aboveground biomass of bamboos in North East India

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angom Sarjubala Devi ◽  
Kshetrimayum Suresh Singh
Keyword(s):  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
North East India ◽  
Age Class ◽  
North East ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Bambusa Tulda ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Culm Density

AbstractThe Northeastern hilly states of India harbor nearly 90 species of bamboos, 41 of which are endemic to the region. Estimation of C-storage and C-sequestration in aboveground biomass of two common bamboo species namely Bambusa tulda and Dendrocalamus longispathus was carried out in Mizoram-one of the eight states of Northeastern India. Recording of density of culms was done by quadrate method and harvesting of culms was done to estimate the aboveground biomass. C-storage in different components of the culms was found out for three age classes namely 1, 2 and ≥ 3 year old culms. Aboveground biomass ranged from 73.58 to 127 Mg/ha in Bambusa tulda and 115 to 150 Mg/ha in Dendrocalamus longispathus. Culm density and aboveground biomass were maximum in the ≥ 3 year age class in both the species. C-storage ranged from 36.34 to 64.00 Mg/ha in Bambusa tulda and 50.11 to 65.16 Mg/ha in Dendrocalamus longispathus. Although having lower aboveground biomass the rate of C-sequestration was higher in Bambusa tulda with 27.79 Mg/ha/year than Dendrocalamus longispathus which have 15.36 Mg/ha/year. The reason was attributed to higher increment of culm density and DBH of the older age class in the second year study period in Bambusa tulda.

scholarly journals Differentiating mature and old-growth forests in the Upper Foothills and Subalpine Subregions of west-central Alberta

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi E Morgantini ◽  
John L Kansas
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Growth Index ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
West Central ◽  
Decay Class ◽  
Management Area ◽  
Growth Attributes ◽  
Live Tree

Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd. is developing harvest strategies that will maintain appropriate levels of late to very late seral stages ("old growth") in its Drayton Valley Forest Management Area. This management area encompasses 490 570 ha in the Foothills and Rocky Mountain Natural Regions of west-central Alberta. In planning for future forest landscapes, Weyerhaeuser intends to maintain a range of age structures consistent with the ecological processes characteristic of each natural region and subregion. The absence of a discrete point separating mature forest from old growth means that the age at which a stand is currently identified as "old growth" and subject to special management practices is arbitrary. In a research study initiated in the summer of 2000, we seek to understand the differences in structure and composition between forests of various ages and topographic site conditions (elevation, aspect, and slope angle). Using 95 sampling plots in a 123-km2 study area in the Upper Foothills and Subalpine Natural Subregions, we quantified vegetation structure and composition for stands ranging in age from 70 to 300 years. Variables measured and analysed included live-tree height and diameter, snag density, diameter and decay class, downed woody material volume, diameter and decay class, vascular plant species richness, sapling and regeneration density, and duff depth. An old-growth index was developed for each sampled stand that took into account multiple attributes. Preliminary results indicate that specific attributes (snag basal area and density, decay stage and density of downed woody material, variation in live-tree age, and variation in live-tree height and age) separate a younger forest from a more mature one and hence may describe "old-growth" conditions. The age of onset of these old-growth attributes is variable but appears to occur between 160 and 180 years. Key factors other than stand age that contribute to or modify the development of old-growth attributes (as measured by the old-growth index) are elevation and moisture regime (as modified by site position). Further investigation is required to more accurately assess the effect of site factors on old-growth attributes. These results are now used by Weyerhaeuser to address retention of late seral stages in long-term forest planning. Key words: old growth, mature forests, old growth protection, forest management, Alberta, Weyerhaeuser, Rocky Mountains foothills

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document