Forest Carbon Management: a Review of Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies Across Boreal, Temperate and Tropical Forests

Abstract

Purpose of Review Carbon sequestration and storage in forest ecosystems is often promoted as a solution for reducing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Yet, our understanding is lacking regarding how forest management strategies affect the net removal of greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change mitigation. Here, we present a review of carbon sequestration and stock dynamics, following three strategies that are widely used in boreal, temperate and tropical forests: extensive forest management, intensive forest management and old-growth forest conservation. Recent Findings Several studies show that specific forest management strategies can improve carbon sequestration capacity and soil carbon storage. Within these studies, the old-growth forest conservation strategy results in greater carbon storage in soils than do extensive and intensive forest management. Intensive forest management enhances forest carbon sequestration capacity through afforestation using fast-growing species, mechanical soil preparation from low to moderate intensity and N fertilization. Extensive forest management is an intermediate compromise regarding carbon sequestration and soil carbon storage, between conservation and intensive forest management strategies. With respect to silvicultural treatments, partial cutting is a practice that increases forest carbon sequestration rates and maintains higher carbon storage in soils compared to clear-cuts. Each silvicultural practice that is discussed in this review showed a similar effect on forest carbon in all biomes, although the magnitude of these effects differs mainly in terms of heterotrophic respiration. Summary To achieve sustainable management and fulfill industrial demand and profitability, specific gaps must be dealt with to improve our scientific knowledge regarding forest carbon sequestration in a climate change context, mainly through the integration of the three aforementioned strategies in a functional zoning approach at the landscape scale. We present a review with promising strategies for guiding sustainable forest management in such a global context.

Divergent Seasonal Patterns of Qinghai Spruce Growth with Elevation in Northwestern China

“…Climate changes, particularly dramatic warming and severe drought events, have occurred around the world [1], most notably in northern China [2,3]. These changes exert a strong influence on forest dynamics and growth [4][5][6]. Therefore, to assess the impacts of future climate change on forest growth, it is crucial to study the climatic forcing of tree growth at annual and seasonal time scales.…”

Thinning Effects on Stand Structure and Carbon Content of Secondary Forests

“…We can also add some research on shrubs and herbs to form different hierarchical relationships and network structures. Making carbon sink in long-lasting reforestation is a widely embraced carbon sequestration technique [45]. If possible, we will carry out replanting of tree species.…”

Stand-Age Derived Competition Indices Influence Individual Tree Mortality Model Prediction for Naturally Occurring Even-Aged Shortleaf Pine Stands

“…Tree mortality is part of an integral system in forest development that modifies a stand development which alters forest ecosystem services such as wildlife habitats, biodiversity maintenance, wood supply, and the atmospheric carbon (C) cycle [1][2][3]. Understanding the tree mortality process is complex due to the involvement of biotic and abiotic factors such as natural disturbance (pest, snow, ice-storm, etc.…”

“…Modeling tree mortality (death of trees) helps predict the stand development and project the future trajectory of forest ecosystem services. For example, forest development contributes to climate change mitigation by regulating the atmospheric C, and the tree mortality rate significantly affects the forest carbon storage [2,3] via altering stand productivity [6].…”

“…However, understanding the actual mechanism leading to individual tree mortality is complex [6]. Modeling the potential factors affecting tree survival helps predict the tree mortality or survival of individual trees in a forest stand [3,[8][9][10]. In natural stands, the mortality probability of an individual tree is primarily influenced by its vigor, stand density, species composition, site quality, and competition indices [11][12][13].…”