Carbon Footprint offset of a managed Bamboo plantation in temperate regions

Abstract

Bamboo is a fast-growing plant potentially deployable to offset anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, when properly managed. This study focuses on Phyllostachys edulis (commonly known as Moso) cultivation managed in a temperate region (Italy) with the aim to assess the Carbon Footprint offset by comparing carbon storage capability with GHG emissions of its cultivation.On one side, a dynamic model based on the allometric equations of International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) and the parameters of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is developed and validated, using primary data to estimate the direct carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake in biomass. On the other side, GHG emissions produced by the management of the plantation are quantified through the Life Cycle Assessment (i.e., Carbon Footprint) over a period of 100 years.The Carbon Footprint offset is −26,628 t CO2eq (ha)−1 over the specified time frame. It is “net negative” considering an overall Carbon Footprint of 259 t CO2eq (ha)−1 and a cumulative uptake of −26,888 t CO2 (ha)−1. In particular, the CO2 annually removed is 275 t (ha)−1 from the eighth year onwards; this is embedded as carbon in the harvested above-ground biomass and regenerated in the same year (1/3 of culms annually collected). The potential CO2 sequestration per land unit (1 ha) is about 36 times that of a mixed Italian forest.The carbon model is tested to shed light on the dependance on initial conditions (i.e., the life span and the efficient use of the harvested biomass), showing a reduction of the Carbon Footprint offset (from −10 % to −77 %).This study supports the idea of bamboo plantations as a valuable solution for climate change mitigation as long as they are properly managed and the harvested biomass is transformed in durable goods (e.g., construction materials, furniture, fiber, and art), thus generating a semi-permanent carbon storage.