Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and Beyond
Forests mitigate climate change by absorbing CO<sub>2</sub>. However, N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in forests, which has 298 times larger global warming potential than CO<sub>2</sub>, can diminish the climate mitigation role of forests. Thus, it is crucial to project...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/7/1076 |
| _version_ | 1797433606213206016 |
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| author | Hyung-Sub Kim Florent Noulèkoun Nam-Jin Noh Yo-Whan Son |
| author_facet | Hyung-Sub Kim Florent Noulèkoun Nam-Jin Noh Yo-Whan Son |
| author_sort | Hyung-Sub Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forests mitigate climate change by absorbing CO<sub>2</sub>. However, N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in forests, which has 298 times larger global warming potential than CO<sub>2</sub>, can diminish the climate mitigation role of forests. Thus, it is crucial to project not only CO<sub>2</sub> absorption but also N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in forests to provide a scientific basis for the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement goal. This study used a biogeochemical model, called FBD-CAN, to project CO<sub>2</sub> absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions of South Korean forests from 2021 to 2080 under three climate scenarios, including the current climate, Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5, and RCP 8.5. From 2021 to 2080, CO<sub>2</sub> absorption decreased from 5.0 to 1.4 Mg CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>—1</sup> year<sup>—1</sup> under the current climate with the aging of forests, while N<sub>2</sub>O emissions increased from 0.25 to 0.33 Mg CO<sub>2</sub> eq. ha<sup>—1</sup> year<sup>—1</sup>. Climate change accelerated the decreasing trend in CO<sub>2</sub> absorption and the increasing trend in N<sub>2</sub>O emissions. The subalpine region had a faster decreasing trend in CO<sub>2</sub> absorption than the central and southern regions due to its older stand age. These findings provide scientific references for future greenhouse gas reduction plans and broaden our knowledge of the impacts of climate change on the climate mitigation role of forests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:19:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8fbbf3743d2342d28f90ecd8fd3fb9da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:19:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-8fbbf3743d2342d28f90ecd8fd3fb9da2023-12-01T22:09:39ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072022-07-01137107610.3390/f13071076Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and BeyondHyung-Sub Kim0Florent Noulèkoun1Nam-Jin Noh2Yo-Whan Son3Institute of Life Science and Natural Resource, Korea University, Seoul 02841, KoreaAgroforestry Systems and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, KoreaDepartment of Forest Resources, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, KoreaDepartment of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, KoreaForests mitigate climate change by absorbing CO<sub>2</sub>. However, N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in forests, which has 298 times larger global warming potential than CO<sub>2</sub>, can diminish the climate mitigation role of forests. Thus, it is crucial to project not only CO<sub>2</sub> absorption but also N<sub>2</sub>O emissions in forests to provide a scientific basis for the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement goal. This study used a biogeochemical model, called FBD-CAN, to project CO<sub>2</sub> absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O emissions of South Korean forests from 2021 to 2080 under three climate scenarios, including the current climate, Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5, and RCP 8.5. From 2021 to 2080, CO<sub>2</sub> absorption decreased from 5.0 to 1.4 Mg CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>—1</sup> year<sup>—1</sup> under the current climate with the aging of forests, while N<sub>2</sub>O emissions increased from 0.25 to 0.33 Mg CO<sub>2</sub> eq. ha<sup>—1</sup> year<sup>—1</sup>. Climate change accelerated the decreasing trend in CO<sub>2</sub> absorption and the increasing trend in N<sub>2</sub>O emissions. The subalpine region had a faster decreasing trend in CO<sub>2</sub> absorption than the central and southern regions due to its older stand age. These findings provide scientific references for future greenhouse gas reduction plans and broaden our knowledge of the impacts of climate change on the climate mitigation role of forests.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/7/1076climate changemodelingcarbon dioxidenitrous oxidegreenhouse gasnet-zero emissions |
| spellingShingle | Hyung-Sub Kim Florent Noulèkoun Nam-Jin Noh Yo-Whan Son Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and Beyond Forests climate change modeling carbon dioxide nitrous oxide greenhouse gas net-zero emissions |
| title | Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and Beyond |
| title_full | Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and Beyond |
| title_fullStr | Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and Beyond |
| title_full_unstemmed | Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and Beyond |
| title_short | Future Projection of CO<sub>2</sub> Absorption and N<sub>2</sub>O Emissions of the South Korean Forests under Climate Change Scenarios: Toward Net-Zero CO<sub>2</sub> Emissions by 2050 and Beyond |
| title_sort | future projection of co sub 2 sub absorption and n sub 2 sub o emissions of the south korean forests under climate change scenarios toward net zero co sub 2 sub emissions by 2050 and beyond |
| topic | climate change modeling carbon dioxide nitrous oxide greenhouse gas net-zero emissions |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/7/1076 |
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