Abstract
Extension of the rotation length in forest management has been highlighted in Article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol to help the countries in their commitments for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. CO2FIX Model Ver.3.2 was used to examine the dynamics of carbon stocks (C stocks) in a rubber plantation in South Western China with the changing rotation lengths. To estimate the efficiency of increasing the rotation length as an Article 3.4 activity, study predicted that the rubber production and C stocks of the ecosystem increased with the increasing rotation (25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years). While comparing the pace of growth both in economical (rubber production) and ecological (C stocks) terms in each rotation, 40 years rotation length showed maximum production and C stocks. After elongation of 40 year rotation to four consecutive cycles, it was concluded that the total C stocks of the ecosystem were 186.65 Mg ha-1. The longer rotation lengths showed comparatively increased C stocks in below ground C stock after consecutive four rotations. The pace of C input (Mg C ha-1yr-1) and rubber production indicated that 40years rotation is best suited for rubber plantation. The study has developed carbon mitigation based on four rotation scenarios. The possible stimulated increase in C stocks of the entire ecosystem after consecutive long rotations indicated that the emphasis must be paid on deciding the rotation of rubber plantation in SW China for reporting under article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol.
Highlights
Forest plantations have been considered to measure carbon sequestered from the atmosphere and mitigate future climate change [1]
There is still a lack of explicit trajectories of post-harvest C stocks in tree plantations, those established on the natural forest lands, which contributes to the uncertainty about the role of plantation forests in global terrestrial ecosystem C cycle [7]
To gauge the effect of the changing rotation length from the currently (30–35 years) used, we studied differences in the final C stocks in the ecosystem at the completion of the first cycle and consecutive four cycles of that particular rotation (25, 35, 40 and 45years)
Summary
Forest plantations have been considered to measure carbon sequestered from the atmosphere and mitigate future climate change [1]. While reforestation on the natural forest land accounts for about half of the overall increased area of tree plantations [2]. In a meta-analysis [3], the forest plantation has a 28% lower C storage compared to natural wood. This led to a doubt against the replacement of natural forests by the plantations as a measure of climate change mitigation. Most of the plantation forests at current rotation length do not achieve their maximum biological storage yet; prolongation of the rotation period generally results in increased C sequestration [4]. There is still a lack of explicit trajectories of post-harvest C stocks in tree plantations, those established on the natural forest lands, which contributes to the uncertainty about the role of plantation forests in global terrestrial ecosystem C cycle [7]
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