effects of forest management practices on carbon storage
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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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Effects of Forest Management Practices on Carbon Storage
Coeli M. HooverUSDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station
Forest PLUS, Washington DCDecember 6, 2013
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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
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Management Effects on Aboveground Carbon Stocks
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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.
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Aboveground Live Tree Carbon
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 20050
20
40
60
80
100
120BelowAboveControl
Indicates when a thinning treatment occurred
Year
mtC
/ha
Structure Study - KEF
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Structure Study - KEFAverage Annual Change - AGL Carbon
Below Above Control-2.5
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.01975-19891975-2005
Treatment
mtC
/ha/
yr
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Crop Tree Thinning - BEFAboveground Live Tree Carbon
1958 1969 1975 19900
20
40
60
80
100
Heavy
ControlLight
Year
mtC
/ha
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Crop Tree Thinning - BEF
Average Annual Change - AGL Carbon
Heavy Light Control0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.01964-19751958-1990
Treatment
mtC
/ha/
yr
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Mixed Oak Stocking- Vinton Furnace EF
1962 1976 1984 1996 20060
20
40
60
80
100
120
Aboveground Live Biomass Carbon
40%50%70%100%
tC/h
a
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Mixed Oak Stocking
Average Annual Change - AGL Carbon
40% 50% 60% 70% Control0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.01966-19841962-2006
Treatment
mtC
/ha/
yr
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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?
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Management Impacts on Forest Floor and Soil C Stocks
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Overall results…
Nave et al. 2010
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Digging deeper…
Nave et al. 2010
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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)
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Forest Management Effects Study Sites
Argonne
Bartlett
SUNY Heiberg
Kane
Fernow
Middle Mountain
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Results Summary• Forest floor stocks were variable, 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
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Kane Experimental Forest (PA)
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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 2002468
101214161820
Light thinHeavy thin
tC/ha control
tC/h
a tr
eate
d
Forest Floor C Stocks –Thinned and Control
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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 2002468
101214161820
1970
1952
1981
1996
tC/ha control
tC/h
a cl
earc
ut
Forest Floor C Stocks – Clearcut and Control
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Fernow Experimental Forest (WV) Whole tree harvest
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0 20 40 60 80 1000
20
40
60
80
100
Lightthin
Heavythin
tC/ha control
tC/h
a tr
eate
d
Soil C Stocks (0-20 cm)-Thinned and Control
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0 20 40 60 80 1000
20
40
60
80
100
1981
1952
1970
1996
tC/ha control
tC/h
a cl
earc
ut
Soil C Stocks (0-20 cm)-Clearcut and Control
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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
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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!
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Questions?