The influence of disturbance and conservation management on the greenhouse gas budgets of China's forests. (10th July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Weiwei; Guo, Ziliang; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xiaoke; Zhang, Manyin; Liu, Bojie; Wei, Yuanyun; Cui, Lijuan; Luo, Yunjian; Zhang, Lu; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Yuan, Yafei
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 261(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-07-10
• Subjects: Forest ecosystem -- Fire -- Diseases pests and rats -- Harvesting -- Biomass carbon sink -- Conservation management; C carbon -- CANM carbon accounting and net mitigation -- Ce CO2–C equivalents -- DPR diseases -- pests and rats -- GHG greenhouse gas -- LCA life cycle assessment -- and NFI national forest inventory; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121000
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Diseases, pests, and rats (DPR), forest fires and harvesting have been identified as critical disturbance factors that influence the carbon (C) cycle of forest ecosystems. In addition, forest conservation management, i.e., fire and DPR control, and reductions in wood production could increase C sequestration and reduce emissions. However, the offsets or promotion effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets resulting from these factors on forest biomass C sinks remain unknown in China. Using the carbon accounting and net mitigation of forest (CANM-Forest) methodology, we assessed the GHG budgets of disturbances and conservation management in China from 2000 to 2014. The objective of our study was to determine the main emissions factors, analyze the effective mitigation strategies, and clarify the offsets or promotion of these activities in relation to the Chinese forest biomass C sink. The results indicated that disturbances released 64.9 Tg Ce yr −1 and offset 32.1% of the forest biomass C sink, which was estimated based on national forest resource inventories. Harvesting was a major contributor to national GHG emissions, while the main driving factor of regional GHG emissions varied. Furthermore, conservation management significantly mitigated 27.3 Tg Ce yr −1 emissions and enhanced the net biomass C sink by 24.3%, indicated that 24.3% of the Chinese forest's biomass C sink was attributed to conservation management. Fire control dominated promotion effects in the national forests, and the main enhanced factor of the regional forest's biomass C sink varied. Proper forest conservation management should be implemented in accordance with the specific conditions of regional forests to increase contributions to GHG mitigation. Our study provided a forest C accounting for China and indicated that simulations of natural and human disturbances, together with forest management, could provide insights into mitigation options and sustainable forest management for policymakers.