Forest Carbon Dynamics in the Pacific Northwest (USA) and the St. Petersburg Region of Russia: Comparisons and Policy Implications

Abstract

Forests of the United States and Russia can play a positive role in reducing the extent of global warming caused by greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. To determine the extent of carbon sequestration, physical, ecological, economic, and social issues need to be considered, including different forest management objectives across major forest ownership groups. Private timberlands in the U.S. Pacific Northwest are relatively young, well stocked, and sequestering carbon at relatively high rates. Forests in northwestern Russia are generally less productive than those in the Northwestern U.S. but cover extensive areas. A large increase in carbon storage per hectare in live tree biomass is projected on National Forest timberlands in the U.S. Pacific Northwest for all selected scenarios, with an increase of between 157-175 Mg by 2050 and a near doubling of 1970s levels. On private timberlands in the Pacific Northwest, average carbon in live tree biomass per hectare has been declining historically but began to level off near 65 Mg in 2000; projected levels by 2050 are roughly what they were in 1970 at approximately 80 Mg. In the St. Petersburg region, average carbon stores were similar to those on private lands in the Pacific Northwest: 57 Mg per hectare in 2000 and ranging from 40 to 64 Mg by 2050. Although the projected futures reflect a broad range of policy options, larger differences in projected carbon stores result from the starting conditions determined by ownership, regional environmental conditions, and past changes in forest management. However, an important change of forest management objective, such as the end of all timber harvest on National Forests in the Pacific Northwest or complete elimination of mature timber in the St. Petersburg region, can lead to substantial change in carbon stores over the next 50 years.

Scaling net ecosystem production and net biome production over a heterogeneous region in the western United States

“…Our estimate for forestland NBP in the late 1990s is ∼6 TgC yr −1 . As far as the distribution of the carbon sink among ecoregions and ownerships, our results agree with inventory based reports that suggest large gains of tree carbon on public lands in Oregon (Alig et al, 2006;Smith and Heath, 2004), and losses on private forestland in eastern Oregon (Azuma et al, 2004).…”

“…In our analysis, the majority of the forestland NBP for the state was associated with public lands. On private lands, the ratio of growth to removals is close to one Alig et al, 2006), thus tending towards a low NBP. The sharp curtailment of logging on public lands beginning in the early 1990s meant that NBP went from negative to positive on these lands because large quantities of wood were no longer removed from old-growth stands and bolewood production in young stands was left to accumulate.…”

“…The sharp curtailment of logging on public lands beginning in the early 1990s meant that NBP went from negative to positive on these lands because large quantities of wood were no longer removed from old-growth stands and bolewood production in young stands was left to accumulate. Although volume inventories on public lands in the Pacific Northwest are predicted to continue increasing (Mills and Zhou, 2003;Alig et al, 2006), the carbon sink on these lands is vulnerable to changes in management policy with regard to harvest levels and to fire (Smith and Heath, 2004). Volume inventories on private forest land in the Pacific Northwest are projected to be stable (Alig et al, 2006), consistent with continued intensive management.…”

“…Although volume inventories on public lands in the Pacific Northwest are predicted to continue increasing (Mills and Zhou, 2003;Alig et al, 2006), the carbon sink on these lands is vulnerable to changes in management policy with regard to harvest levels and to fire (Smith and Heath, 2004). Volume inventories on private forest land in the Pacific Northwest are projected to be stable (Alig et al, 2006), consistent with continued intensive management. Although fire suppression has been largely successful in the western U.S., there has recently been an increase in the incidence of wildfire -possibly associated with warming climate (Westerling et al, 2006).…”

A regional high-resolution carbon flux inversion of North America for 2004

“…However, variability estimates surrounding these sink estimates are typically much smaller than the variability estimates of similar sink magnitudes in the Midwest or southeastern United States showing relatively more confidence in the sink despite the lack of proximity to the observing towers. The sink estimate in the northwestern United States is not surprising since the northwestern coastal mountains of California, Oregon and Washington have been intensely managed over the last 50 years and are expected to provide a sink of carbon for many decades into the future (Alig et al, 2006). The estimate for the boreal forest regions appears much harder to objectively evaluate.…”