Multimodel simulations of forest harvesting effects on long‐term productivity and CN cycling in aspen forests

Wang, Fugui; Mladenoff, David J.; Forrester, Jodi A.; Blanco, Juan A.; Scheller, Robert M.; Peckham, S. D.; Keough, Cindy; Lucash, Melissa S.; Gower, Stith T.

doi:10.1890/12-0888.1

Cited by 26 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 76 publications

(85 reference statements)

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“…, Wang et al. ). In the PnET model, after a destructive disturbance and losses of C stocks, forest biomass and soil C pools increase during recovery, and NPP and NEP increase in earlier development years or decades and then decrease after the canopy is closed and with increasing respiration (Wang et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling forest carbon cycle using long‐term carbon stock field measurement in the Delaware River Basin

Pan

Plante

et al. 2017

Ecosphere

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Abstract. Process-based models are a powerful approach to test our understanding of biogeochemical processes, to extrapolate ground survey data from limited plots to the landscape scale, and to simulate the effects of climate change, nitrogen deposition, elevated atmospheric CO 2 , increasing natural disturbances, and land-use change on ecological processes. However, in most studies, the models are calibrated using ground measurements from only a few sites, though they may be extrapolated to much larger areas. Estimation accuracy can be improved if the models are parameterized using long-term carbon (C) stock data from multiple sites representative of the simulated region. In this study, forest biomass C stocks measured in 61 forested plots located in three research sites in the Delaware River Basin (DRB) were used to modify the PnET-CN model in three ways: (1) Field-measured mortality rates in each forest type were used to parameterize the wood turnover rate; (2) a numerical approach was used to calibrate the relationship between foliage N and maximum photosynthesis rate; and (3) stand age was incorporated into the model as an input variable, which determines the year of the last disturbance. The results showed that these model modifications improved model performance in capturing the spatial variation of forest C dynamics in the DRB forests. The spatial distribution of forest C pools and fluxes in the three sites was mapped using the modified model. The modified model was also used in experimental scenarios, which predicted that 39% of forest C sequestered over the past decade could be attributed to the combined effects of elevated CO 2 and N deposition. This study demonstrated an effective method for using long-term biometric measurements of forest biomass C stocks to constrain and improve a process-based ecosystem model at a regional scale. Further research should target improving model parameters that are sensitive to the spatial variation of forest C dynamics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling forest carbon cycle using long‐term carbon stock field measurement in the Delaware River Basin

Pan

Plante

et al. 2017

Ecosphere

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“…The modelling studies do not include error margins in the forecasts. Instead, they rely on sensitivity analyses, observed biomass and decomposition dynamics, findings and common assumptions about SOC dynamics and reproduction of observed total SOC dynamics (Peckham & Gower, ; Dean et al ., ; Wang et al ., ). Comparing percentage change rather than absolute values cancels errors in absolute values of baseline total SOC stock and allows comparisons between different studies (Fig.…”

Section: Long‐term Decrease In Soc Fluxmentioning

confidence: 97%

Conventional intensive logging promotes loss of organic carbon from the mineral soil

Dean

Kirkpatrick

Friedland

2016

Global Change Biology

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There are few data, but diametrically opposed opinions, about the impacts of forest logging on soil organic carbon (SOC). Reviews and research articles conclude either that there is no effect, or show contradictory effects. Given that SOC is a substantial store of potential greenhouse gasses and forest logging and harvesting is routine, resolution is important. We review forest logging SOC studies and provide an overarching conceptual explanation for their findings. The literature can be separated into short-term empirical studies, longer-term empirical studies and long-term modelling. All modelling that includes major aboveground and belowground biomass pools shows a long-term (i.e. ≥300 years) decrease in SOC when a primary forest is logged and then subjected to harvesting cycles. The empirical longer-term studies indicate likewise. With successive harvests the net emission accumulates but is only statistically perceptible after centuries. Short-term SOC flux varies around zero. The long-term drop in SOC in the mineral soil is driven by the biomass drop from the primary forest level but takes time to adjust to the new temporal average biomass. We show agreement between secondary forest SOC stocks derived purely from biomass information and stocks derived from complex forest harvest modelling. Thus, conclusions that conventional harvests do not deplete SOC in the mineral soil have been a function of their short time frames. Forest managers, climate change modellers and environmental policymakers need to assume a long-term net transfer of SOC from the mineral soil to the atmosphere when primary forests are logged and then undergo harvest cycles. However, from a greenhouse accounting perspective, forest SOC is not the entire story. Forest wood products that ultimately reach landfill, and some portion of which produces some soil-like material there rather than in the forest, could possibly help attenuate the forest SOC emission by adding to a carbon pool in landfill.

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“…Many previous studies modeled the soil biogeochemical cycle response to management practices (e.g., Aber et al 1982;Rolff and Agren 1999;Thornley and Cannell 2000;Peckham et al 2013;Dangal et al 2014) and a subset purposely analyzed the relation between harvest and the internal dynamics of soil C-N cycles (Dewar and McMurtrie 1996a, b;Corbeels et al 2005;Tian et al 2012;Wang et al 2014). These modeling studies noted residue removal and increased soluble inorganic nitrogen leaching after harvest as primary sources of N loss in harvested ecosystems, which may reduce primary production over time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest soil carbon and nitrogen cycles under biomass harvest: Stability, transient response, and feedback

Parolari

Porporato

2016

Ecological Modelling

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Biomass harvest generates an imbalance in forest carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles and the nonlinear biogeochemical responses may have long-term consequences for soil fertility and sustainable management. We analyze these dynamics and characterize the impact of biomass harvest and N fertilization on soil biogeochemistry and ecosystem yield with an ecosystem model of intermediate complexity that couples plant and soil C and N cycles. Two harvest schemes are modeled: continuous harvest at low intensity and periodic clear-cut harvest. Continuously-harvested systems sustain N harvest at steadystate under net mineralization conditions, which depends on the C:N ratio and respiration rate of decomposers. Further, linear stability analysis reveals steady-state harvest regimes are associated with stable foci, indicating oscillations in C and N pools that decay with time after harvest. Modeled ecosystems under periodic clear-cut harvest operate in a limit-cycle with net mineralization on average. However, when N limitation is strong, soil C-N cycling switches between net immobilization and net mineralization through time. The model predicts an optimal rotation length associated with a maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and minimum external N losses. Through non-linear plant-soil feedbacks triggered by harvest, strong N limitation promotes short periods of immobilization and mineral N retention, which alter the relation between MSY and N losses. Rotational systems use N more efficiently than continuous systems with equivalent biomass yield as immobilization protects mineral N from leaching losses. These results highlight dynamic soil C-N cycle responses to harvest strategy that influence a range of functional characteristics, including N retention, leaching, and biomass yield.

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Multimodel simulations of forest harvesting effects on long‐term productivity and CN cycling in aspen forests

Cited by 26 publications

References 76 publications

Modeling forest carbon cycle using long‐term carbon stock field measurement in the Delaware River Basin

Modeling forest carbon cycle using long‐term carbon stock field measurement in the Delaware River Basin

Conventional intensive logging promotes loss of organic carbon from the mineral soil

Forest soil carbon and nitrogen cycles under biomass harvest: Stability, transient response, and feedback

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