Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone
The forest sector can help reduce atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> through carbon (C) sequestration and storage and wood substitution of more polluting materials. However, climate change can have an impact on the C fluxes we are trying to leverage through forestry. We calculated the difference...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/12/1667 |
| _version_ | 1797504679049953280 |
|---|---|
| author | Gabriel Landry Evelyne Thiffault Dominic Cyr Lucas Moreau Yan Boulanger Caren Dymond |
| author_facet | Gabriel Landry Evelyne Thiffault Dominic Cyr Lucas Moreau Yan Boulanger Caren Dymond |
| author_sort | Gabriel Landry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The forest sector can help reduce atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> through carbon (C) sequestration and storage and wood substitution of more polluting materials. However, climate change can have an impact on the C fluxes we are trying to leverage through forestry. We calculated the difference in CO<sub>2</sub> eq. fluxes between ecosystem-based forest management and total forest conservation in the context of the temperate-boreal forest ecotone of Quebec (Canada), taking into account fluxes from forest ecosystems, wood product life cycle, and the substitution effect of wood products on markets. Over the 2020–2120 period, in the absence of climate change, ecosystem-based forest management and wood production caused average net annual emissions of 66.9 kilotonnes (kt) of CO<sub>2</sub> eq. year<sup>−1</sup> (relative to forest conservation), and 15.4 kt of CO<sub>2</sub> eq. year<sup>−1</sup> when assuming a 100% substitution effect of wood products. While management increased the ecosystem C sink, emissions from degradation of largely short-lived wood products caused the system to be a net source. Moreover, climate warming would decrease the capacity of ecosystems to sequester C and cause a shift towards more hardwood species. Our study highlights the need to adapt the industrial network towards an increased capacity of processing hardwoods into long-lived products and/or products with high substitution potential. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:07:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eb778ffce565483a8b8624c673329d89 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:07:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-eb778ffce565483a8b8624c673329d892023-11-23T08:20:40ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-11-011212166710.3390/f12121667Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest EcotoneGabriel Landry0Evelyne Thiffault1Dominic Cyr2Lucas Moreau3Yan Boulanger4Caren Dymond5Research Centre on Renewable Materials, Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaResearch Centre on Renewable Materials, Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaScience and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC J8Y 3Z5, CanadaResearch Centre on Renewable Materials, Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaNatural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Center, Quebec City, QC G1V 4C7, CanadaClimate Change and Integrated Planning Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia, Victoria, BC V8W 9C2, CanadaThe forest sector can help reduce atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> through carbon (C) sequestration and storage and wood substitution of more polluting materials. However, climate change can have an impact on the C fluxes we are trying to leverage through forestry. We calculated the difference in CO<sub>2</sub> eq. fluxes between ecosystem-based forest management and total forest conservation in the context of the temperate-boreal forest ecotone of Quebec (Canada), taking into account fluxes from forest ecosystems, wood product life cycle, and the substitution effect of wood products on markets. Over the 2020–2120 period, in the absence of climate change, ecosystem-based forest management and wood production caused average net annual emissions of 66.9 kilotonnes (kt) of CO<sub>2</sub> eq. year<sup>−1</sup> (relative to forest conservation), and 15.4 kt of CO<sub>2</sub> eq. year<sup>−1</sup> when assuming a 100% substitution effect of wood products. While management increased the ecosystem C sink, emissions from degradation of largely short-lived wood products caused the system to be a net source. Moreover, climate warming would decrease the capacity of ecosystems to sequester C and cause a shift towards more hardwood species. Our study highlights the need to adapt the industrial network towards an increased capacity of processing hardwoods into long-lived products and/or products with high substitution potential.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/12/1667climate forcingforest carbonharvestingconservationwood productssubstitution |
| spellingShingle | Gabriel Landry Evelyne Thiffault Dominic Cyr Lucas Moreau Yan Boulanger Caren Dymond Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone Forests climate forcing forest carbon harvesting conservation wood products substitution |
| title | Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone |
| title_full | Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone |
| title_fullStr | Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone |
| title_short | Mitigation Potential of Ecosystem-Based Forest Management under Climate Change: A Case Study in the Boreal-Temperate Forest Ecotone |
| title_sort | mitigation potential of ecosystem based forest management under climate change a case study in the boreal temperate forest ecotone |
| topic | climate forcing forest carbon harvesting conservation wood products substitution |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/12/1667 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gabriellandry mitigationpotentialofecosystembasedforestmanagementunderclimatechangeacasestudyintheborealtemperateforestecotone AT evelynethiffault mitigationpotentialofecosystembasedforestmanagementunderclimatechangeacasestudyintheborealtemperateforestecotone AT dominiccyr mitigationpotentialofecosystembasedforestmanagementunderclimatechangeacasestudyintheborealtemperateforestecotone AT lucasmoreau mitigationpotentialofecosystembasedforestmanagementunderclimatechangeacasestudyintheborealtemperateforestecotone AT yanboulanger mitigationpotentialofecosystembasedforestmanagementunderclimatechangeacasestudyintheborealtemperateforestecotone AT carendymond mitigationpotentialofecosystembasedforestmanagementunderclimatechangeacasestudyintheborealtemperateforestecotone |