Simulating Carbon Storage in Forests of Eastern Russia

Abstract

In a pilot study investigating a method for estimating carbon (C) in forested ecosystems of Russia, a forest growth model was selected and applied to a test area. BORFOR, a forest gap model which simulates growth of trees, mosses and forest floor decay was used to model a mountainous area in the Russian Far East. Vegetation and landcover were identified using an unsupervised classification of Global Vegetation Index (GVI). The continental scale image class descriptions required a supplemental description of the species-specific to the area before they could be used as input data. Site level data was provided for soils and disturbances using published literature and thematic maps. Carbon values for forest ecosystems estimated with BORFOR were compared to other estimates. Good comparisons were noted for living tree C in all forest types, except mountain deciduous forests. Forest floor C was both overestimated or underestimated depending on forest type. Spatial resolution of ecosystem identification data was found to be very important to the estimation of C in mountainous regions. The BORFOR model could be improved to provide better C estimates with species-specific biomass calculations and improved simulation of decay of dead trees.