Beijing Forest Carbon Storage Potential Capacity

Abstract

Forests serve as a crucial carbon reservoir. Therefore, optimizing forest carbon storage is a pathway towards achieving carbon neutrality. In this study, the Forest Simulation Optimization System (FSOS) was used to simulate the carbon storage in Beijing forests over 250 years (2018-2268). It was found that under the no management scenario, carbon storage fluctuates with the natural growth and death of trees, with peaks of more than 90 million tons. It proves that forests have a strong capacity of carbon storage. In the management scenario, harvest trees and make them into furniture, total carbon storage is high and maintains a stable level of 108 million tons. This is almost 1.6 times higher than in the no management scenario on average. In addition, the growth rate of carbon storage is fastest in the middle-aged forest and the near-mature forest. Therefore, in order to optimize the carbon sequestration benefits of forests, the forestry sector must pay attention to the age structure of forests in the future. Based on the results of this study, recommendations were made to optimize carbon storage in Beijing forests and to integrate forest managements of Beijing forests into regional economic and environmental planning.