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

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 903
Author(s):  
Raymundo Marcos-Martinez ◽  
José J. Sánchez ◽  
Lorie Srivastava ◽  
Natthanij Soonsawad ◽  
Dominique Bachelet

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.

Land ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belachew Gizachew ◽  
Svein Solberg ◽  
Stefano Puliti

Uganda designated 16% of its land as Protected Area (PA). The original goal was natural resources, habitat and biodiversity conservation. However, PAs also offer great potential for carbon conservation in the context of climate change mitigation. Drawing on a wall-to-wall map of forest carbon change for the entire Uganda, that was developed using two Digital Elevation Model (DEM) datasets for the period 2000–2012, we (1) quantified forest carbon gain and loss within 713 PAs and their external buffer zones, (2) tested variations in forest carbon change among management categories, and (3) evaluated the effectiveness of PAs and the prevalence of local leakage in terms of forest carbon. The net annual forest carbon gain in PAs of Uganda was 0.22 ± 1.36 t/ha, but a significant proportion (63%) of the PAs exhibited a net carbon loss. Further, carbon gain and loss varied significantly among management categories. About 37% of the PAs were “effective”, i.e., gained or at least maintained forest carbon during the period. Nevertheless, carbon losses in the external buffer zones of those effective PAs significantly contrast with carbon gains inside of the PA boundaries, providing evidence of leakage and thus, isolation. The combined carbon losses inside the boundaries of a large number of PAs, together with leakage in external buffer zones suggest that PAs, regardless of the management categories, are threatened by deforestation and forest degradation. If Uganda will have to benefit from carbon conservation from its large number of PAs through climate change mitigation mechanisms such as REDD+, there is an urgent need to look into some of the current PA management approaches, and design protection strategies that account for the surrounding landscapes and communities outside of the PAs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Carrión-Prieto ◽  
S. Hernández-Navarro ◽  
P. Martín-Ramos ◽  
L.F. Sánchez-Sastre ◽  
F. Garrido-Laurnaga ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 490
Author(s):  
Sukanda Husin

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aapo Rautiainen ◽  
Jussi Lintunen ◽  
Jussi Uusivuori

We explore the optimal regulation of forest carbon and albedo for climate change mitigation. We develop a partial equilibrium market-level model with socially optimal carbon and albedo pricing and characterize optimal land allocation and harvests. We numerically assess the policy's market-level impacts on land allocation, harvests, and climate forcing, and evaluate how parameter choices (albedo strength, productivity of forest land, and carbon and albedo prices) affect the outcomes. Carbon pricing alone leads to an overprovision of climate benefits at the expense of food and timber production. Complementing the policy with albedo pricing reduces these welfare losses.


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