Thinning represents an important and frequently used silvicultural technique that improves forest wood products and has obvious effects on forest carbon stocks and stock changes. Here, we used the carbon budget model ...Thinning represents an important and frequently used silvicultural technique that improves forest wood products and has obvious effects on forest carbon stocks and stock changes. Here, we used the carbon budget model CBM-CFS3 to simulate the effects of thinning on carbon storage and changes in larch forest ecosystems under thirteen thinning scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that strong thinning greatly reduces the biomass carbon density of larch forests compared to non-thinning forests. The minimum and maximum average biomass carbon density, respectively, were 30.3 tC ha^-1 and 47.8 tC ha^-1, a difference of 58% under set scenarios in the simulated time scale. The dead organic matter(including soil) carbon density increased in all thinned larch forests stands, compared with non-thinning stands, and the pattern of variation was opposite to that found for biomass carbon density. However, the total ecosystem carbon density of larch forests declined with thinning because the increase in dead organic matter carbon is insufficient to offset the loss of biomass carbon caused by thinning. Thus, strong thinning can transform larch forest ecosystems from carbon sinks into carbon sources. Future work should consider the carbon sequestered in wood materials acquired via thinning and their use as substitutes for other construction materials with less favorable lifecycle carbon footprints, such as steel, cement, aluminum and PVC.展开更多
Background:Natural forests cover approximately 29%of New Zealand’s landmass and represent a large terrestrial carbon pool.In 2002 New Zealand implemented its first representative plot-based natural forest inventory t...Background:Natural forests cover approximately 29%of New Zealand’s landmass and represent a large terrestrial carbon pool.In 2002 New Zealand implemented its first representative plot-based natural forest inventory to assess carbon stocks and stock changes in these mostly undisturbed old-growth forests.Although previous studies have provided estimates of biomass or carbon stocks,these were either not fully representative or lacked data from important pools such as dead wood(coarse woody debris).The current analysis provides the most complete estimates of carbon stocks and stock changes in natural forests in New Zealand.Results:We present estimates of per hectare carbon stocks and stock changes in live and dead organic matter pools excluding soil carbon based on the first two measurement cycles of the New Zealand Natural Forest Inventory carried out from 2002 to 2014.These show that New Zealand’s natural forests are in balance and are neither a carbon source nor a carbon sink.The average total carbon stock was 227.0±14.4 tC·ha^(−1)(95%C.I.)and did not change significantly in the 7.7 years between measurements with the net annual change estimated to be 0.03±0.18 tC·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1).There was a wide variation in carbon stocks between forest groups.Regenerating forest had an averaged carbon stock of only 53.6±9.4 tC·ha^(−1) but had a significant sequestration rate of 0.63±0.25 tC·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1),while tall forest had an average carbon stock of 252.4±15.5 tC·ha^(−1),but its sequestration rate did not differ significantly from zero(−0.06±0.20 tC·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1)).The forest alliance with the largest average carbon stock in above and below ground live and dead organic matter pools was silver beech-red beech-kamahi forest carrying 360.5±34.6 tC·ha^(−1).Dead wood and litter comprised 27%of the total carbon stock.Conclusions:New Zealand’s Natural Forest Inventory provides estimates of carbon stocks including estimates for difficult to measure pools such as dead wood and roots.It also provides estimates of uncertainties including effects of model prediction error and sampling variation between plots.Importantly it shows that on a national level New Zealand’s natural forests are in balance.Nevertheless,this is a nationally important carbon pool that requires continuous monitoring to identify potential negative or positive changes.展开更多
Beef cattle production is declining in the areas surrounding LVB (Lake Victoria Basin) due to many factors among which is the climate change. This study was focused on generating spatial knowledge that will be usefu...Beef cattle production is declining in the areas surrounding LVB (Lake Victoria Basin) due to many factors among which is the climate change. This study was focused on generating spatial knowledge that will be useful in designing appropriate strategies for improving beef cattle production on rangelands of the LVB, through assessing changes in stock routes in relation to water and pasture availability for livestock under a changing climate. The study used participatory mapping and focused group discussions to assess spatial changes of stock routes in relation to water availability and pasture under critical climate changes. Also, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technologies were deployed in formalization of spatial layers for integration with other pertinent datasets to the facilitate analysis. The study revealed remarkable stock routes changes (i.e. some have been lost, some have been converted into roads, while others have been lost and others narrowed influencing conflicts between pastorists and farmers. The stock routes changes are made by the increased human population which has led to an increase of cultivated areas and subsequently the decline of water sources and grazing land for pastorists. It is recommended that there should be effective land use planning practice, real-time stock route modification concomitant with adverse climate changes and cattle farming practice. Intervention by other mitigation measures particuticularly rainwater harvesting which is a strategy for alleviation of climate change effects for improving beef cattle production in LVB areas is proposed.展开更多
Background:Land use change plays a vital role in global carbon dynamics.Understanding land use change impact on soil carbon stock is crucial for implementing land use management to increase carbon stock and reducing c...Background:Land use change plays a vital role in global carbon dynamics.Understanding land use change impact on soil carbon stock is crucial for implementing land use management to increase carbon stock and reducing carbon emission.Therefore,the objective of our study was to determine land use change and to assess its effect on soil carbon stock in semi-arid part of Rajasthan,India.Landsat temporal satellite data of Pushkar valley region of Rajasthan acquired on 1993,2003,and 2014 were analyzed to assess land use change.Internal trading of land use was depicted throughmatrices.Soil organic carbon(SOC)stock was calculated for soil to a depth of 30 cm in each land use type in 2014 using field data collection.The SOC stock for previous years was estimated using stock change factor.The effect of land use change on SOC stock was determined by calculating change in SOC stock(t/ha)by deducting the base-year SOC stock from the final year stock of a particular land use conversion.Results:The total area under agricultural lands was increased by 32.14%while that under forest was decreased by 23.14%during the time period of 1993–2014.Overall land use change shows that in both the periods(1993–2003 and 2003–2014),7%of forest area was converted to agricultural land and about 15%changes occurred among agricultural land.In 1993–2003,changes among agricultural land led to maximum loss of soil carbon,i.e.,4.88 Mt C and during 2003–2014,conversion of forest to agricultural land led to loss in 3.16 Mt C.Conclusion:There was a continuous decrease in forest area and increase in cultivated area in each time period.Land use change led to alteration in carbon equity in soil due to change or loss in vegetation.Overall,we can conclude that the internal trading of land use area during the 10-year period(1993–2003)led to net loss of SOC stock by 8.29 Mt C.Similarly,land use change during 11-year period(2003–2014)caused net loss of SOC by 2.76 Mt C.Efforts should be made to implement proper land use management practices to enhance the SOC content.展开更多
基金Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA05050203)Knowledge Innovation Projects of Significant Directions of Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX2-YW-Q1-05)
文摘Thinning represents an important and frequently used silvicultural technique that improves forest wood products and has obvious effects on forest carbon stocks and stock changes. Here, we used the carbon budget model CBM-CFS3 to simulate the effects of thinning on carbon storage and changes in larch forest ecosystems under thirteen thinning scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that strong thinning greatly reduces the biomass carbon density of larch forests compared to non-thinning forests. The minimum and maximum average biomass carbon density, respectively, were 30.3 tC ha^-1 and 47.8 tC ha^-1, a difference of 58% under set scenarios in the simulated time scale. The dead organic matter(including soil) carbon density increased in all thinned larch forests stands, compared with non-thinning stands, and the pattern of variation was opposite to that found for biomass carbon density. However, the total ecosystem carbon density of larch forests declined with thinning because the increase in dead organic matter carbon is insufficient to offset the loss of biomass carbon caused by thinning. Thus, strong thinning can transform larch forest ecosystems from carbon sinks into carbon sources. Future work should consider the carbon sequestered in wood materials acquired via thinning and their use as substitutes for other construction materials with less favorable lifecycle carbon footprints, such as steel, cement, aluminum and PVC.
基金The New Zealand Ministry for the Environment provided funding to undertake data analysis and preparation of this manuscript under Statement of Work 21078Additional support was provided by the New Zealand Ministry for Business,Innovation and Employment Core funding to Crown Research Institutes.
文摘Background:Natural forests cover approximately 29%of New Zealand’s landmass and represent a large terrestrial carbon pool.In 2002 New Zealand implemented its first representative plot-based natural forest inventory to assess carbon stocks and stock changes in these mostly undisturbed old-growth forests.Although previous studies have provided estimates of biomass or carbon stocks,these were either not fully representative or lacked data from important pools such as dead wood(coarse woody debris).The current analysis provides the most complete estimates of carbon stocks and stock changes in natural forests in New Zealand.Results:We present estimates of per hectare carbon stocks and stock changes in live and dead organic matter pools excluding soil carbon based on the first two measurement cycles of the New Zealand Natural Forest Inventory carried out from 2002 to 2014.These show that New Zealand’s natural forests are in balance and are neither a carbon source nor a carbon sink.The average total carbon stock was 227.0±14.4 tC·ha^(−1)(95%C.I.)and did not change significantly in the 7.7 years between measurements with the net annual change estimated to be 0.03±0.18 tC·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1).There was a wide variation in carbon stocks between forest groups.Regenerating forest had an averaged carbon stock of only 53.6±9.4 tC·ha^(−1) but had a significant sequestration rate of 0.63±0.25 tC·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1),while tall forest had an average carbon stock of 252.4±15.5 tC·ha^(−1),but its sequestration rate did not differ significantly from zero(−0.06±0.20 tC·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1)).The forest alliance with the largest average carbon stock in above and below ground live and dead organic matter pools was silver beech-red beech-kamahi forest carrying 360.5±34.6 tC·ha^(−1).Dead wood and litter comprised 27%of the total carbon stock.Conclusions:New Zealand’s Natural Forest Inventory provides estimates of carbon stocks including estimates for difficult to measure pools such as dead wood and roots.It also provides estimates of uncertainties including effects of model prediction error and sampling variation between plots.Importantly it shows that on a national level New Zealand’s natural forests are in balance.Nevertheless,this is a nationally important carbon pool that requires continuous monitoring to identify potential negative or positive changes.
文摘Beef cattle production is declining in the areas surrounding LVB (Lake Victoria Basin) due to many factors among which is the climate change. This study was focused on generating spatial knowledge that will be useful in designing appropriate strategies for improving beef cattle production on rangelands of the LVB, through assessing changes in stock routes in relation to water and pasture availability for livestock under a changing climate. The study used participatory mapping and focused group discussions to assess spatial changes of stock routes in relation to water availability and pasture under critical climate changes. Also, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technologies were deployed in formalization of spatial layers for integration with other pertinent datasets to the facilitate analysis. The study revealed remarkable stock routes changes (i.e. some have been lost, some have been converted into roads, while others have been lost and others narrowed influencing conflicts between pastorists and farmers. The stock routes changes are made by the increased human population which has led to an increase of cultivated areas and subsequently the decline of water sources and grazing land for pastorists. It is recommended that there should be effective land use planning practice, real-time stock route modification concomitant with adverse climate changes and cattle farming practice. Intervention by other mitigation measures particuticularly rainwater harvesting which is a strategy for alleviation of climate change effects for improving beef cattle production in LVB areas is proposed.
文摘Background:Land use change plays a vital role in global carbon dynamics.Understanding land use change impact on soil carbon stock is crucial for implementing land use management to increase carbon stock and reducing carbon emission.Therefore,the objective of our study was to determine land use change and to assess its effect on soil carbon stock in semi-arid part of Rajasthan,India.Landsat temporal satellite data of Pushkar valley region of Rajasthan acquired on 1993,2003,and 2014 were analyzed to assess land use change.Internal trading of land use was depicted throughmatrices.Soil organic carbon(SOC)stock was calculated for soil to a depth of 30 cm in each land use type in 2014 using field data collection.The SOC stock for previous years was estimated using stock change factor.The effect of land use change on SOC stock was determined by calculating change in SOC stock(t/ha)by deducting the base-year SOC stock from the final year stock of a particular land use conversion.Results:The total area under agricultural lands was increased by 32.14%while that under forest was decreased by 23.14%during the time period of 1993–2014.Overall land use change shows that in both the periods(1993–2003 and 2003–2014),7%of forest area was converted to agricultural land and about 15%changes occurred among agricultural land.In 1993–2003,changes among agricultural land led to maximum loss of soil carbon,i.e.,4.88 Mt C and during 2003–2014,conversion of forest to agricultural land led to loss in 3.16 Mt C.Conclusion:There was a continuous decrease in forest area and increase in cultivated area in each time period.Land use change led to alteration in carbon equity in soil due to change or loss in vegetation.Overall,we can conclude that the internal trading of land use area during the 10-year period(1993–2003)led to net loss of SOC stock by 8.29 Mt C.Similarly,land use change during 11-year period(2003–2014)caused net loss of SOC by 2.76 Mt C.Efforts should be made to implement proper land use management practices to enhance the SOC content.