Forest carbon sequestration changes in response to timber harvest

Forest succession contributes to the global terrestrial carbon (C) sink, but changes in C sequestration in response to varied harvest intensities have been debated. The forests of the Central Appalachian region have been aggrading over the past 100 years following widespread clear-cutting that occurred in the early 1900s and these forests are now valuable timberlands. This study compared the history of ecosystem C storage in four watersheds that have been harvested at different frequencies and intensities since 1958. We compared NPP, NEP, and component ecosystem C fluxes (g C m−2 year−1) in response to the four different harvest histories (no harvest, clear-cutting, single tree selection cutting, and 43 cm diameter-limit cutting). Clear-cutting had short-term negative effects on NEP but harvest did not significantly impact long-term average annual C sequestration rates. Average plant C (g C m−2) since 1950 was about 33% lower in response to a clear-cut event than plant C in an un-harvested forest, suggesting that the C sequestration associated with clear-cutting practices would decline over time and result in lower C storage than diameter-limit cut, selective cut, or un-harvested forests. Total C stored over a 55-year period was stimulated ∼37% with diameter-limit cutting and selective cutting relative to un-harvested forests.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	61428 Davis, S.C., 77820 Hessl, A.E., 117427 Scott, C.J., 40063 Adams, M.B., 124242 Thomas, R.B.
Format:	biblioteca
Language:	| 0
Published:	Amsterdam (Países Bajos): ELSEVIER, 2009
Subjects:	AGRICULTURA, MADERA, CORTA, CARBONO, ALMACENAMIENTO, ESTIMACION,
Online Access:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.08.009
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