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Managing forests for carbon storage

Managing forests for carbon storage. Bill Keeton Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont. What is the best way to increase carbon storage in forest ecosystems?. Intensified forest harvests, favoring fast rates of uptake and storage in wood products?

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Managing forests for carbon storage

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  1. Managing forests for carbon storage Bill Keeton Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont

  2. What is the best way to increase carbon storage in forest ecosystems? • Intensified forest harvests, favoring fast rates of uptake and storage in wood products? • Reduced harvesting intensity/frequency and/or passive management (reserves) favoring carbon storage in extant forests?

  3. Carbon storage in old and structurally complex forests Keeton et al. 2007. Ecological Applications

  4. Biomass in Mature vs. Old-growth Forests: Old Forests Store Large Amounts of Carbon! Data Sources: Ukraine: M. Tchernyavskyy and W. Keeton U.S. Pacific Northwest: J. Franklin U.S. Northeast: W. Keeton

  5. Modified from: Schelhaas, M.J. et al. 2004. CO2FIX V 3.1 – A modelling framework for quantifying carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems.

  6. Figure from Ingerson. 2007.

  7. Carbon residence time in wood products Northern hardwood forests in the U.S. Northeast Data from Smith et al. (2006). USDA Forest Service GTR NE-343

  8. Figure from Ingerson. 2007.

  9. Modified from: Schelhaas, M.J. et al. 2004. CO2FIX V 3.1 – A modelling framework for quantifying carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems.

  10. Forest Biomass Fuel Key: how will this be generated? • Added harvest margin during regeneration harvest. e.g. whole-tree harvesting or increased removal of cull • Stand improvement or thinning to harvest cull. • Issues and concerns

  11. Coarse Woody Debris in Northern Hardwood Forests • Habitat • Nitrogen Fixation • Soil organic matter • Mycorrhizal fungi • Nurse logs • Erosion reduction • Riparian functions Even-aged Single-tree Selection Old-Growth Figure from McGee et al. (1999)

  12. Modified from: Schelhaas, M.J. et al. 2004. CO2FIX V 3.1 – A modelling framework for quantifying carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems.

  13. Key Points • Forest carbon sequestration is not a silver bullet solution • Sustainable forest management is one of many strategies: • 10% of U.S. CO2 emissions are offset annually by sequestration in forests • Deforestation accounts for 20 to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions • Sustainable forest carbon management can provide co-varying ecological values • There are management issues that must be resolved

  14. Carbon Credits Through Forest Management Kyoto Agreement: • Reforestation or afforestation (plantations established prior to 1990) in developing countries • In developed countries, 5% of emissions can be offset through forest management. Developing “Cap and Trade” Markets: • Reforestation/afforestation • Avoided deforestation • NEW! Credits for “improved forest management” • Have to demonstrate “additionality” in carbon storage over baseline management • Permanence and leakage issues

  15. Credits for Active Forestry

  16. Credits for Active Forestry

  17. VMC - Vermont Forest Ecosystem Management Demonstration Project • Single-Tree Selection • BDq modified to enhance post-harvest structural retention • Group Selection  BDq modified to enhance post-harvest structural retention  Mimic opening sizes (0.05 ha) created by fine-scale disturbances (Seymour et al. 2002) 3. Structural Complexity Enhancement: • Promotes late-successional/old-growth characteristics

  18. Mt Mansfield State Forest University of Vermont, Jericho Research Forest

  19. Cumulative Projected Total Basal Area How much have we accelerated growth rates? Normalized cumulative BAI: “treatment BAI” minus “no treatment BAI” at each time step Keeton. 2006. Forest Ecology and Management

  20. Silvicultural Options: • Even-Aged/Multi-aged systems

  21. Extended Rotations 300 Periodic annual increment Cubic ft./acre/year Mean annual increment 0 20 120 Stand age (Years) From Curtis (1997)

  22. Silvicultural Options: • Disturbance-based/retention forestry

  23. 75 Mg/Ha

  24. 90 Mg/Ha 75 Mg/Ha

  25. 20 Mg/ha

  26. 20 Mg/ha

  27. Silvicultural Options: • Uneven-Aged

  28. Stand Structural Complexity Low Intermediate High Lower vol. production but large dimension sawtimber Maximized volume production Maximized large sawtimber volume and value growth # stems # stems # stems Diameter Diameter 50 cm max. Diameter 80-100 cm max. 40 cm max. Low Carbon Medium Carbon High Carbon

  29. NE-FVS projections run in NED-2: • “planting” to simulate regeneration • Regeneration based on plot data • Mixed species, proportions as sampled 178.9 Mg/ha

  30. 216.6 Mg/ha 37.7 Mg/ha 178.9 Mg/ha

  31. 292.3 Mg/ha 75.7 Mg/ha 114.4 Mg/ha 216.6 Mg/ha 178.9 Mg/ha

  32. 223.8 Mg/ha 216.6 Mg/ha 59.9 Mg/ha 178.9 Mg/ha

  33. 251.6 Mg/ha 27.8 Mg/ha 223.8 Mg/ha

  34. 304.5 Mg/ha 292.3 Mg/ha 251.6 Mg/ha 223.8 Mg/ha 216.6 Mg/ha 178.9 Mg/ha 55.9 Mg/ha 80.7 Mg/ha

  35. CO2fix Model Simulation: Scenario = harvest for biomass only, northern hardwood stand, UVM Jericho Research Forest 125 100 Total carbon sequestration + emissions offset 75 Carbon (Mg/ha) Biofuel offset of fossil fuel emissions 50 Soil carbon 25 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 Years Carbon in aboveground biomass Carbon in wood fuel Data courtesy of Andy Book, Mike Thomas, and John Shane

  36. CO2fix Model Simulation Scenario = low intensity selection harvest for durable wood products and biomass, northern hardwood stand, UVM Jericho Research Forest 125 Total carbon sequestration + emissions offset 100 Carbon in aboveground biomass 75 Carbon (Mg/ha) 50 Soil carbon 25 100 200 300 400 500 0 Years Carbon in wood products Biofuel offset Data courtesy of Andy Book, Mike Thomas, and John Shane

  37. Conclusions • Even, multi-aged, and uneven-aged silvicultural options are available for increasing net carbon storage in managed stands. • Options include: • Longer rotations or entry cycles • Post-harvest retention • Modified uneven-aged approaches that promote structural complexity and high biomass conditions • Passive management: reserves that will develop high levels of biomass

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