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Effects of Forest Management Practices on Carbon Storage

Effects of Forest Management Practices on Carbon Storage. Coeli M. Hoover USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station Forest PLUS, Washington DC December 6, 2013. Trail Map. Management effects on aboveground C stocks Long-term thinning studies

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Effects of Forest Management Practices on Carbon Storage

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  1. Effects of Forest Management Practices on Carbon Storage Coeli M. Hoover USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station Forest PLUS, Washington DC December 6, 2013

  2. Trail Map • Management effects on aboveground C stocks • Long-term thinning studies • Management treatment effects on forest floor and soil C stocks • State of knowledge • Results from field study • Questions

  3. Management Effects on Aboveground Carbon Stocks

  4. Long-term Thinning Studies • Thinning studies with long measurement records can be used to investigate the carbon consequences of different management practices • Studies are usually of similar design, and apply a variety of thinning levels • Structure study at Kane EF was designed specifically to look at effect of method, using a single density • Challenges – lack of documentation, control plots, irregular measurement intervals, etc.

  5. Structure Study - KEF

  6. Structure Study - KEF

  7. Crop Tree Thinning - BEF

  8. Crop Tree Thinning - BEF

  9. Mixed Oak Stocking- Vinton Furnace EF

  10. Mixed Oak Stocking

  11. Summary • Over the long term, plots will often end up with about the same amount of live biomass carbon across treatments • However, the rate of accumulation may be quite different, especially in the period following treatment Are your goals short- or long-term?

  12. Management Impacts on Forest Floor and Soil C Stocks

  13. Mini literature review – mineral soil • Overall, significant effects of harvesting on soil C have not been detected • Some evidence that boreal soils may respond • Some cases of short-term increases in C in surface soils • A few cases of short-term decrease in C in either the surface or deeper soils • Some evidence that changes may occur at depth over longer time frames, but few studies have addressed this topic

  14. Mini literature review - forest floor • Literature includes chronosequences and control/treatment studies • Problem of mixing of forest floor and mineral soil often complicates interpretation of results • Good evidence that forest floor carbon stocks often decline after harvest • Recovery may take several decades

  15. Most recent meta-analysisNave et al. 2010 (Forest Ecology and Management) • Analyzed C content (t/ha) and concentration (% C) • 75 publications met criteria • Control and harvest • Temperate forest • Analyzed 432 response ratios from papers published between 1979-2008 • Largest analysis to date

  16. Overall results from Nave et al. 2010 • Forest floor • C storage declined by 30±6% after harvest • Significantly different between hardwoods and softwoods • Conifer/mixed stand: -20% • Hardwood stand: -36% • Mineral soil • No significant overall effect • Variation best explained by soil taxonomy

  17. Overall results… Nave et al. 2010

  18. Digging deeper… Nave et al. 2010

  19. Results from regional work • Investigated surface soil and forest floor C stocks in long-term thinning studies • Variety of treatments: clearcutting, thinning to different densities • e.g., 90 ft2, 60 ft2, 30 ft2, 70% RD, 40% RD • All sites northern hardwood • States included WV, NY, PA, WI, NH • Some sites treated once, others twice • Results in Carbon Balance and Management 2011(C. M. Hoover)

  20. Forest Management Effects Study Sites Argonne SUNY Heiberg Bartlett Kane Fernow Middle Mountain

  21. Results Summary • Forest floor stocks werevariable, ranging from 2.4-18 mtC/ha • General trend of increasing S to N • No significant effects related to treatment • Surface (0-20 cm) soil stocks range from a low of 32 to a high of 78 mtC/ha • Most sites fall between 55-65 mtC/ha • Overall, no treatment effects on C stocks or C concentrations • Similar patterns for 0-5 cm depth as 0-20 cm

  22. Kane Experimental Forest (PA)

  23. Forest Floor C Stocks –Thinned and Control

  24. Forest Floor C Stocks – Clearcut and Control

  25. Fernow Experimental Forest (WV) Whole tree harvest

  26. Soil C Stocks (0-20 cm)-Thinned and Control

  27. Soil C Stocks (0-20 cm)-Clearcut and Control

  28. In summary... • Thinning treatments may not change the standing C stock over time, but can strongly affect the rate of C accumulation • Thinning method matters! • Common management treatments may cause a reduction in forest floor C stocks • Strong evidence that common management treatments do not result in meaningful reductions in SOC stocks or concentrations

  29. Points to ponder • Short-and long-term responses often differ • This is true both above and below ground • Surface and deep soil layers may respond differently • Site specific factors may come into play • Hardwood/softwood types • Soil order • Existing studies covered “standard” rotation lengths – not biomass harvests or industrial plantations • Your mileage may vary!

  30. Questions?

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