EFFECTS OF SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES

“Effects of silvicultural practices on the carbon capture and storage in boreal forests”



“Effects of silvicultural practices on the carbon capture and storage in boreal forests”

Introduction

Forest of the world sequester and conserve more carbon (C) than all other terrestrial ecosystems and account for 90% of the annual C flux between the atmosphere and the Earth's land surface. Boreal forests, circumpolar and generally between 45° and 70°N latitude, are primarily composed of pine, spruce, aspen and larch. According to Stocks and Lynham (1996) they account for 25% of the world's forested area and contain 37% of the total terrestrial C pool (Apps et al 1993, Schlesinger 1997) Canada is one of the 12 key forested nations that can significantly contribute to the global capability to sequester C (Winjum et al, 1993). The boreal forests of Canada represent about 40% of the world's boreal forests (Burton et al, 2003). We focus in this type of forest because approximately 58% of Canada's total land area, 55% of its surface freshwater, 13% of its population, and 15% of its endangered and threatened species fall within the boreal region (CCEA, 2002 cited by Burton et al, 2003). According to CCFM (2006), mixedwood stands are defined as stands of trees having a well-mixed composition of deciduous or broadleaf trees (angiosperms) and conifers (gymnosperms). The statistics reported in the State of Canada's Forest (Annual Report 2009) indicating that the mixedwood forest represent the 22% of the forest in Canada (BC 13%, AB 17%, SAS 37% and MAN 11%).

This huge amount of forest definitely could impact in the amount of C being captured and sequestered in the Earth. To accomplish more of the C sequestration potential of forests, it is critical that a better understanding of the impacts of forestry practices on the C cycle be acquired. On that way, the appropriate forest management strategies can be developed. To achieve this, additional information is required about changes in forest biomass C pools during silvicultural practices as site preparation, regeneration techniques, intermediate treatments, harvesting techniques to name just a few.

Good and Services Of The Forests

Forests provide us with a range of essential goods and services. According to IPCC (2002) ecosystems provide important goods and environment services that are fundamental to the existence and development of society. Boreal forest provide us with market goods as food, fiber, fodder, shelter, medicines, energy and fuel as well as numerous ecological services such as regulation of hydrological flows, key role in biogeochemical processes, pest and disease control, pollination and seed dispersal, soil formation, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and cultural, religious, aesthetics, and intrinsic values (IPCC, 2002). In nowadays one of the services that is acquiring more attention since its importance in the climatic change is the role of the forest in biogeochemical processes that underlie the terrestrial ecosystems function. The biogeochemical cycles are intermeshed processes among the biological, geological and chemical systems by which materials and energy are exchanged and reused at the Earth's surface (Hedges, ...