Carbon balance of forest stands, wood products and their utilization in South Korea. Issue 5 (1st October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Han, Hee; Chung, Woodam; Chung, Joosang
• Is Part Of: Journal of forest research. Volume 21:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 199
• Page End: 210
• Publication Date: 2016-10-01
• Subjects: Forest supply chain -- Harvested wood products -- Net carbon fluxes -- Substitution effect; Forests and forestry -- Periodicals; Forests and forestry -- Japan -- Periodicals; 634.905
• DOI: 10.1007/s10310-016-0529-2
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1341-6979

Abstract

Abstract: Forests provide wood products and feedstock for bioenergy and bio-based products that can mitigate climate change by reducing carbon emissions. In order to assess the effects of forest products on reducing carbon emissions, we analyzed the carbon balance for individual carbon pools across the forest supply chain over a long period of time. We simulated particular forest supply chain activities pertaining to even-aged management of pine stands in South Korea to demonstrate our methods. Two different rotation scenarios (i.e., 40 and 70 years) were assessed over the 280-year time horizon in terms of temporal changes in carbon stock in each carbon pool along the supply chain, carbon transfer between carbon pools, substitution effects, and delayed carbon release by wood products. We found that the average carbon stock level was higher for the 70-year rotation scenario, but the total amount of gain in carbon was higher for the 40-year rotation at the end of the time horizon. This study confirms that forest products and energy feedstock can both reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon storage. However, the complexity of carbon accounting along the supply chain warrants a thorough evaluation from diverse perspectives when it is used to assess forest carbon management options.