Forest Utilization Research Articles

Targeting net climate benefits by wood utilization in Finland: Participatory backcasting combined with quantitative scenario exploration

To obtain net climate benefits from intensified forest utilization in the short-term, the substitution impact of wood harvesting and increased carbon stocks of wood-based products should be higher than the forest carbon stock loss. However, the product specific substitution impacts change dynamically over time along with technological development, and long-term climate change mitigation strategies need to consider this, as well as the market forces. We identified future pathways enabling globally market viable environments for wood utilization scenarios in Finland resulting in net climate benefits in 2050. We I) indicated substitution impacts in 2050 applying future-oriented parameter modification based on LCA, and developed quantitative target scenarios by altering wood-based product portfolios to achieve required substitution, and II) identified pathways enabling scenarios by applying participatory backcasting. In the scenarios, a major shift from primary energy use to high added-value products including textiles, chemicals, composites and advanced biofuels, or long-lifetime construction products was needed and more lifecycles for wood products by recycling were required. The actions enabling market viable environment focused on the global level policies and consumer perceptions, while actions locally were limited and current production technology development oriented. We recommend multi-target backcasting together with LCA to analyse more synergies and trade-offs.

Exploring local challenges and adaptation strategies in the establishment of National Parks in giant panda habitats

By integrating giant panda natural reserves and extending conservation to previously unprotected areas, the establishment of the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP) in China has inevitably impacted the livelihoods of residents who now reside in areas surrounding the natural reserves. Understanding how to best support sustainable development is important for appropriate policy development in these areas. To assess this, we initiated workshops in two communities now part of the GPNP in the Wawushan nature reserve and used participatory scenarios to explore the challenges and potential adaptation strategies for these areas. Our findings show that traditional timber harvesting and eco-friendly resource income-generating opportunities are the primary livelihoods impacted by the restrictions due to the GPNP in the Changhe community (CHC). In contrast, in the Heishan community (HSC), ecotourism and non-timber forest utilization are the primary livelihoods impacted. We analyze four plausible scenarios after the GPNP is completed, with the participants choosing the partial restriction scenario as the most desirable in both communities. Ultimately, the recommended adaptation strategies are to provide sufficient subsidies, alternative job opportunities, ecological recreational activities, and increased planting of white tea in CHC. In the HSC, the recommendations include the eco-friendly cooperative of medicinal herbs, ecotourism, and infrastructure improvements. The findings suggest the need for more targeted conservation policies from government and local GPNP management to support local livelihoods in these areas.

Above-ground carbon stock and REDD+ opportunities of community-managed forests in northern Thailand.

This study aimed to investigate the structure of two deciduous forests and assess their above-ground carbon stock in order to promote community forest management (CFM) for REDD+ opportunities in the Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest in northern Thailand. A systematic sampling method was used to establish twenty-five sample plots of 40 m × 40 m (0.16 ha) each that were used to survey the entire 3,925 ha area of the community forest. Cluster analysis identified two different forest types: dry dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest. It was determined that the above-ground carbon stock did not vary significantly between them. An analysis of carbon sequestration in the community forest indicates that carbon stock increased under CFM from 2007 to 2018 by an estimated 28,928 t C and participation in the carbon market would have yielded approximately US $339,730.43 or US $8.66 /ha/year to the community for that 10-year period. Projections for 2028 reflect that carbon stock will experience continual growth which indicates that maintaining CFM can increase carbon sequestration and reduce CO2 emissions. However, though further growth of carbon stock in the community forest is expected into 2038, that growth would be at a lesser rate than during the preceding decade. This suggests that CFM management should address forest utilization practices with a focus on maintaining long term carbon stock growth. Additional measures to address the impact of drought conditions and to safeguard against forest fires are required to sustain tree species’ growth and expansion in order to increase their carbon accumulation potential. Thailand’s community forest involvement in REDD+ and participation in its international carbon market could create more economic opportunities for local communities.

What Is the Evidence Base Linking Gender with Access to Forests and Use of Forest Resources for Food Security in Low- and Middle-Income Countries? A Systematic Evidence Map

In nearly all parts of the world, an important part of people’s livelihood is derived from natural resources. Gender is considered one of the most important determinants of access and control over forests. It is thought that women and men within households and communities have different opportunities and different roles and responsibilities in relation to forest use. It is probable that when women have equal access to forests, better food security outcomes can be achieved for individuals and households that are dependent on forests for their livelihoods. A systematic evidence map of the evidence base linking gender with access to forests and use of forest resources for food security was undertaken. Ten bibliographic databases and 22 websites of international development and conservation organisations were searched using keywords suggested by stakeholders. Other articles were found by emailing authors and organisations to send potentially relevant publications. 19,500 articles were retrieved from bibliographic databases and 1281 from other sources. After iterative screening, 77 studies were included: 41 focussed on Africa, 22 on Asia, 12 on Latin America, 2 were global. Most indicators of food security measure access to food, measured by total consumption, expenditure, or income. Studies showed strong gender specialisation: commercial access and utilisation of forests and forest products dominated by men, whereas access for subsistence and household consumption is almost exclusively the task of women. Despite the large number of studies reviewed, limitations of the evidence base, including methodological heterogeneity, a dominance of case studies as the study design, and unequal geographical representation in study locations, make it difficult to generalise about the overall importance of gender and its effect on access to and use of forests for food security in developing countries. The critical gaps in the evidence base include geographical representation in primary research and a greater breadth of study designs to assess gender implications of access to forest resources globally.

Identifikasi Mangrove Di Kawasan Ekowisata Mangrove Gampong Baro, Kecamatan Setia Bakti, Kabupaten Aceh Jaya

This research was conducted from December 2019 to March 2020, aimed atknow the ecological conditions, community structures and types of mangrove forest utilization in the mangrove ecotourism area of Gampong Baro, Setia Bakti District, Aceh Jaya Regency. Data collection was carried out through field surveys. This data analysis uses an important value index (IVI) which is a quantitative parameter that can reflect the role and structure of mangrove vegetation in a location. At the mangrove tree level, saplings and seedlings the Rhizophora apiculata had the highest value. Diversity index (H') is strongly influenced by individuals and the number of species. At the tree, sapling and seedlings level showed a moderate species diversity result. Dominance index (D) at the treel, tillers and seedling level can be categorized as moderate dominance and the environmental conditions are quite stable.

LAJU INFILTRASI PADA PENGGUNAAN LAHAN DI IUPHKM DI HUTAN LINDUNG TANDUNG BILLA KELURAHAN BATTANG KECAMATAN WARA BARAT KOTA PALOPO

The low infiltration rate causes most of the rainwater that falls to the ground to become surface runoff, and only a small portion of the water can enter the ground as groundwater storage. The infiltration in the Tandung Billa IUPHKm location includes the use of forest land, shrubs, and mixed gardens, and the management carried out by the community at the Tandung Billa IUPHkm location is the cultivation of agricultural/plantation crops under tree stands in hilly or slightly sloping areas. Land use in the Tandung Billa Community Forest Utilization Business Permit (IUPHKm) consists of forest land, shrubs, and mixed gardens; each land use affects soil and land conditions, which in turn will affect the infiltration rate of the land. Therefore it is necessary to know how the infiltration rate in forest land use, mixed garden shrubs. Measurement of the infiltration rate was carried out by taking soil samples for physical properties, and soil moisture content in three different land uses, namely forest, shrub, and mixed garden land use; the measurement was carried out using a double-ring infiltrometer. The results showed that the infiltration rate on forest land was classified as medium-fast, namely = 83 mm / hour, with clay texture, then the infiltration rate in shrubland was classified as moderate, namely = .62 mm / hour, with clay soil texture and clay. The infiltration rate in mixed garden land/agroforestry is classified as moderate, namely = 53 mm / hour with a dusty clay texture.

Assessing Forest Structural and Topographic Effects on Habitat Productivity for the Endangered Apennine Brown Bear

Any forest management potentially affects the availability and quality of resources for forest-dwelling wildlife populations, including endangered species. One such species is the Apennine brown bear, a small and unique population living in the central Apennines of Italy. The conservation of this relict bear population is hampered by the lack of knowledge of the fine-scale relationships between productivity of key foods and forest structure, as this prevents the design and implementation of effective forest management plans. To address this issue, we sampled the main structural stand attributes within the bear’s range and used multivariate generalized linear mixed models in a Bayesian framework to relate forest structural attributes to proxies of productivity of key bear foods. We found that hard mast was positively associated with both forest typology and high forest system, but negatively related to both the time elapsed since the last forest utilization and the amount of deadwood. The availability of soft-mast producing species was positively related to past forestry practices but negatively associated with steep slopes historically managed with high tree densities and a low silvicultural disturbance. Our findings also suggest that herb cover was negatively affected by terrain steepness and basal area, while herb productivity was positively affected by northern and southern exposure. Additionally, richness of forest ants was associated with forests characterized by low volume and high density. Our findings confirm that the productivity of natural bear foods is strongly affected by forest structural and topographical characteristics and are relevant as preliminary information for forest management practices to support the long-term conservation of Apennine bears.

Institutional analysis of forest governance after the implementation of Law Number 23/2014 in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia

After the implementation of Law Number 23/2014 on Regional Government in Indonesia, the authority for forest management rests with the central and provincial governments. This study aims to (1) assess forest governance performance after the implementation of this law, (2) analyse the institutional aspects of forest governance after the implementation of this law and (3) formulate strategies to strengthen forest governance institutions. This study finds that although Law Number 23/2014 has been implemented in North Sumatra Province, the forestry sector remains centralistic; the characteristics of forest resources have not changed (these continue to be common pool resources) and the behaviour of the actors lacks synergy. In this scenario, the performance of forest governance has not improved significantly, as indicated by the incomplete designation of forest areas; the number of Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan that have not implemented the Badan Layanan Umum Daerah scheme; the low rights of access and low forest utilisation by the community; and the slow service process for permits; however, the costs for obtaining permits are according to regulations. This is in line with the results of this study’s institutional analysis, which show that (1) the provincial jurisdiction boundaries have narrowed, given that only the central government has authority over the forestry planning sub-function and forestry supervision; (2) many central government regulations continue to be used in forest management, characterising the low aspect of provincial regional representation rules; and (3) despite clear forest ownership rights, there are claims from other stakeholders, which indicates the low legitimacy of the parties. This study suggests that forest governance performance can be improved by expanding the jurisdiction boundaries through the assistance task mechanism to the provincial government; ensuring provincial government participation in formulating forest policies; and increasing the status of forest permit holders and managers from claimants to proprietors.

Detrimental impact of Indonesian food estate policy: Conflict of norms, destruction of protected forest, and its implication to the climate change

In response to the food crisis threat due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indonesian Government initiates a national food supply enhancement program recognized as food estate which was then established as a part of National Strategic Programs. To maintain its implementation, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry through PermenLHK 24/2020 allows the legalization of forest land utilization, including the protected forest land for the food estate program. This study aims to analyze emerging conflict norms related to the utilization of the protected forest in Indonesia’s food estate program. The method used is normative legal research conducted by reviewing various forestry-related legal instruments and principles in Indonesia. The main findings reveal that the legalization of the utilization of protected forests for food estate projects by PermenLHK 24/2020 does not meet legal certainty and contradicts the norms incorporated in the hierarchical higher related regulations. In connection to climate change, the legalization of utilizing protected forests for the food estate program will open up opportunities for deforestation and encourage degradation of the protected function of these forests. The forestry sector has become one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Indonesia, with deforestation and land degradation as the root of the problem. The implication of food estate becomes a regressive action for the realization of Indonesia’s commitment to reduce GHG emissions from the forestry sector up to 17.2% with unconditional mitigation scenario (CM 1) and 23% with conditional mitigation scenario (CM 2) by 2030.

Butterfly distribution and habitat conservation status at A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve, Kilifi County, Kenya

Diverse human pressures are degrading coastal forests with profound implications on invertebrate biodiversity. Butterfly species are key ecosystem indicators and their distribution may become a campaign tool towards conservation of specific habitats. However, a baseline survey of Dakatcha butterflies is long overdue, necessitating this study at A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve (ARDNR) in Kilifi County. The objective was to identify Dakatcha butterfly species, their distribution, threats to the forest and conservation measures by the community in 2019. The modified pollard walk method was used to collect butterfly species from 21 transects from which the Shannon index of diversity, Margalef’s species richness index and evenness index were calculated. A total of 125 butterflies from five distinct vegetation types were captured and identified to represent 42 species and 25 genera from the documented 5 butterfly families in Kenya. Questionnaires were administered to twenty-nine community members on threats and conservation activities in ARDNR. The exercise confirmed that main threats to ARDNR butterfly habitat are agriculture, charcoal production from Diospyros corni and Dobera glabra and timber extraction from Manilkara mochisia, Brachystegia spiciformis, Thespesia danis and Brachylaena huillensis trees. The targeted deforestation of key tree species providing a suitable microclimate and an array of nectar sources to all threaten butterfly existence in the forest. Fortunately, there are five main stakeholders implementing diverse conservation projects including promotion of energy-saving jikos and beekeeping. In conclusion this study confirms existence of all five families of Kenyan butterflies in ARDNR. The presence of 13 butterfly species in the regenerating forest patch further affirming the importance of practical all-inclusive forest management and that community awareness enhances diversification of livelihood activities alongside sustainable forest utilization.

Implications of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation towards the Indonesian Forestry Sector

The research aims to analyze the positive and negative implications of the omnibus law on job creation on the development of the forestry sector. In writing, this article is normative juridical. Based on this method, this research is conducted by examining and analyzing theories, doctrines, and laws and regulations that are relevant to the issues discussed. Based on research results, the main points of amendments to regulations in the forestry sector include affirmation of forest areas, forest areas, changes in forest area designation and function, utilization of production forests and protected forests, business permits, non-tax state revenues in the forestry sector, utilization of forest areas outside forestry activities, the authority of the central and regional governments in forest protection, prohibiting activities that cause forest destruction, and imposing sanctions and procedural law on criminal acts of forest destruction. These changes have implications for forest protection in Indonesia, including increasing forest area conversion, limiting community participation in forest management plans, and weakening sanctions (eliminating absolute responsibility). Therefore, in policy formulation, it is necessary to pay attention to forest protection to harmonize human and environmental interests. Based on the results of the research, it is therefore recommended that the government be firm and concrete in regulating forest protection efforts in future implementing regulations.

TEKNIK DAN ANALISIS KELAYAKAN FINANSIAL PENGOLAHAN LIMBAH GAHARU DI KOTA METRO LAMPUNG

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are expected to be another alternative in forest utilization, one of the commodities that has a high selling value is agarwood. Agarwood is the most expensive aromatic ingredient in the world. But there are still many people who do not know about the advantages of gaharu, so this research aims to provide an overview to the wider community regarding processing techniques and calculation of the analysis of the cost of developing an agarwood oil processing business. This study was carried out in the agarwood oil processing household industry in Mero Selatan sub-district, Lampung Province from January 2020 to April 2020 using quantitative descriptive research methods. Data obtained through interviews and observations, as well as business feasibility data analysis carried out by calculating the analysis of Net Present Value, Benefit Cost Ratio and Payback Period.The results showed that the agarwood oil refining business was declared feasible, with a positive NPV analysis or greater than zero of Rp. 1,575.368.554 ,-, BCR analysis is Rp. 13,9 where every Rp. 1 issued then has a benefit of Rp. 13,9, and the Payback Period for 5 months 19 days does not exceed the planned business period.

Potret Hutan Adat di Desa Ewiri Kecamatan Leksula, Kabupaten Buru Selatan

The indigenous people of Ewiri Village are part of the ulayat (petuanan) Massarette in South Buru, which has local wisdom in Sasi (sihit), Enhamat, Tane Mehet, indigenous forests, Karamat/ Pamali, and Dusun. Indigenous peoples in Ewiri Village still have the structure and form of indigenous peoples, indigenous institutions, customary institutions, customary jurisdictions, customary law sanctions, and a very high dependence on indigenous forests. This study examines the management of customary forests in Ewiri Village, Leksula District, South Buru Regency. The research method used is descriptive research used to describe a human group's status or a particular data. Data is collected through interviews of respondents and key informants. The results showed that the management of indigenous forests in Ewiri Village has a relatively high dependence on forests. The community still maintains the customs, traditions of their ancestors, local wisdom, local knowledge, and other land-use practices. Customary Forest Ownership Rights are regulated based on the distribution of houses or soa indigenous peoples of Ewiri Village. The existing margas are Selsily Clan (Gefua), Solissa Clan (Mual), Lesnussa Clan (Masbait), Nustelu Clan (Marmau) and Behuku (Humboti). The pattern of utilization and management of customary forests by the indigenous people of Ewiri Village has stages, including land clearing, planting stage, maintenance stage, and harvesting and marketing stage. Forms of customary forest management include natural forests, gardens, and hamlets/air.

INFLUENCE OF FOREST STAND DENSITY ON PINUS SYLVESTRIS ROUNDWOOD QUALITY IN EVEN-AGED MIXED SCOTS PINE STANDS IN MYRTILLOSA MEL. MESOTROPHIC SITE TYPE

Among different development directions for better forest utilization, the purposefully detailed assessment of wood quality as raw material, faciliating improved wood utilization in manufacturing of traditional roundwood products as well as brand new products, proves to be very perspective. Roundwood quality features substantially differ depending on forest stand geographic location, growing site conditions, tending of forest stands and other circumstances [2], [3], [11]. Therefore, the economical estimation of more important tree species in Latvia should not be based only on scientific conclusions made in other countries, so particular research is needed for this purpose. Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the most widespread tree species in Latvia, therefore a research work provided the characteristic of round wood obtained from pine tree stem is an actual point from several aspects, as it is necessary;to create early prediction models of roundwood quality; to plan harvesting purposes;to create the data basis of economically more relevant domestic tree species;to provide the further development of roundwood quality assessment methods;to estimate the competitiveness of Latvia pine timber in the world marketThe main goal of study is to work out the quality characteristic of pine roundwood manufactured in final felling sites depending on timber formation damages- bark abrasion caused side drought.

MORPHOLOGY, PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF GENJAH SUGAR PALM IN KUTAI NATIONAL PARK, EAST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA

Kutai National Park is the conservation forest in East Kalimantan, which can be used for community welfare through non-timber forest products utilization. One of the superior commoditty of non-timber forest products in Kandolo Village under the guidance of Kutai National Park is Genjah Sugar Palm (Arenga pinata Merr). This research objective was to determine the morphology, productivity and quality of the east kutai native genjah sugar palm. The materials used are fresh sap, the method of making palm sugar was by heating for 3 hours to evaporate the water. The heating is ended after it becomes thickened. After thickening, the stew is immediately removed from the heat. Before printing the thick sap is stirred so the heat is more evenly distributed. The result of research shows that the morphology of genjah sugar palm is very unique, because it has a short tree shape and a production age of 5-6 years. The productivity was quite high, the yield of sap is more than 12 liters day-1 , the duration of tapping is > 3 months tree1 . The chemical compound quality of genjah palm sugar had water content, ash, sacrose, reducing sugar, copper and mercury content of 2.24%, 1.76%, 95.48%, 1.02%, 1.62 ppm and 0.01 ppm

Environmental management model in coastal area (a case study of ecopesantren Al-Khairat Palu, Central Sulawesi)

This study aimed to determine the environmental management model in coastal areas based on ecosystems; Pesantren Al-Khairat in Central Sulawesi, Case Study. Optimizing environmental conservation is done through many factors, and religious elements become one of these factors; religion becomes a way to shape the character of its adherents in protecting their environment. Islam as a religion has teachings that direct its supporters to protect the environment adequately so that the instructions are in harmony with the concept of environmental conservation. This research uses ecopesantren theory with several indicators. First, the pesantren policy that carries out environmental management by utilizing land to create artificial forests. Utilization is based on an agroforestry, agrosilvopasteur and agrofishery approach. The zone of mangrove forest utilization can help food security and environmental preservation in the Pesantren environment. The existence of an artificial lake as a water catchment area supports efforts to conserve water in Pesantren. Also serves as a water reserve through rainwater collection so that it can minimize the occurrence of flooding. Second, participatory activity-based environmental development policies. Pesantren make santri as an aid team in overcoming natural disasters and ecological disasters to minimize environmental damage, social impacts, and economic losses. The environmental management model carried out by the Pesantren Al-Khairat in Palu in the coastal area and geographically crossed by the equator, can reduce environmental damage and can be used as a role model in disaster mitigation and eco-implementation implementation.

Geographical Factors Trump Community Factors in Deforestation Risk in Two Watershed Conservation Forests in Myanmar

Community forestry, which is how local communities are involved in forest conservation and utilization activities, is an important forestry program in developing tropical countries. We evaluated the importance of geographical factors and community characteristics in the deforestation of community forests between 2000 and 2019 in the buffer zone of Inlay Lake Biosphere Reserve, Myanmar, using a mixed-effects logistic regression model. Distance to the nearest village, slope, and distance to the community forestry boundary were the most important variables explaining deforestation in community forests. Forests closer to human settlements and with gentle slopes faced higher risks of deforestation, presumably because such forests are more accessible. In addition, forests located far from the boundaries of community forests were more vulnerable to deforestation. Community characteristics were less important compared with geographical factors. Leadership was the most important variable among community characteristics, although not statistically significant. We conclude that deforestation depends more on forest accessibility. This indicates that the locations at which new community forests are established should receive increased consideration.

Allometric model to estimate biomass of leave-twigs cajuput (Melaleuca cajuput) at KPH Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Estimation of carbon storage in plantations is an alternative strategy to mitigate climate change. The carbon storage estimation model was developed by building a biomass allometric model with specific predictors. Utilization of cajuput plantations is harvesting the leave-twigs, which is different from the utilization of commons plantation forests that emphasize on timber forest products. Therefore, the objective of the research was to develop an allometric model of cajuput leave-twigs biomass. The study was conducted in KPH Yogyakarta on cajuput plants aged 23, 27, 31, 33, 40, 41, and 43 years. 210 samples were used to develop allometric models, and 60 samples were used as model validation materials. Leave-twigs biomass of cajuput (Y) was estimated with the predictors of the canopy height of cajuput (X1), mean quadratic of canopy diameter (X2), and mean quadratic of stem diameter (X3). The results showed that the allometric model of leave-twigs biomass of cajuput was Y = 3,597X1 0.961X2 0.145X3 0.247. The results of the model validation test resulted in R2 adj value of 0.428; the aggregate deviation was 9.76%; the mean deviation was 0.50%; the bias was - 2.16%, and RMSE was 0.47%. The allometric model was less accurate in predicting leave-twigs biomass of cajuput with the predictors of canopy height, canopy diameter, and stem diameter. Furthermore, it is important to build an allometric model of leave-twigs biomass by adding other predictors.

Transformation of Agro-Forest Management Policy under the Dynamic Circumstances of a Two-Decade Regional Autonomy in Indonesia

Agro-forest management policy is one of the most trending issues in Indonesia under the dynamics circumstances of regional autonomy. Regional autonomy has been recognized in the formal governance system of the Republic Indonesia through Regional Governance Law 5/1972 and Village Governance Law 5/1979. A strong political reform following deep economic crisis in 1998 has forced Indonesian President Suharto to step down, and the new government has to accommodate political reform agendas, included a broader regional autonomy, which has been implemented under a Regional Governance Law 22/1999, then replaced by Law 32/2004 and Law 23/2014. The existing Regional Governance Law has shifted almost all authorities in forest management from the regency to the province, and associated with the new established Law 11/2020 on job creation, a single license of multi-purpose forest utilization was introduced, including agroforestry, that will potentially reduce deforestation and improve the community welfare. This study evaluates key elements of local development goals, risks and barriers, as well as basic capitals for agro-forest management in Tebo Regency, Jambi Province, using an Interpretive Structural Modelling approach. Overall, this study concludes that weak coordination, low quality of human capital, inappropriate communication with stakeholders, and lack of financial resources are the greatest challenges to the implementation of agro-forest management, particularly agroforestry, as a part of social forestry schemes.

Distribution and altitudinal patterns of carbon and nitrogen storage in various forest ecosystems in the central Yunnan Plateau, China

The carbon (C) pool in forest ecosystems plays a long-term and sustained role in mitigating the impacts of global warming, and the sequestration of C is closely linked to the nitrogen (N) cycle. Accurate estimates C and N storage (SC, SN) of forest can improve our understanding of C and N cycles and help develop sustainable forest management policies in the content of climate change. In this study, the SC and SN of various forest ecosystems dominated respectively by Castanopsis carlesii and Lithocarpus mairei (EB), Pinus yunnanensis (PY), Pinus armandii (PA), Keteleeria evelyniana (KE), and Quercus semecarpifolia (QS) in the central Yunnan Plateau of China, were estimated on the basis of a field inventory to determine the distribution and altitudinal patterns of SC and SN among various forest ecosystems. The results showed that (1) the forest SC ranged from 179.58 ± 20.57 t hm−1 in QS to 365.89 ± 35.03 t hm−1 in EB. Soil, living biomass and litter contributed an average of 64.73%, 31.72% and 2.86% to forest SC, respectively; (2) the forest SN ranged from 4.47 ± 0.94 t ha−1 in PY to 8.91 ± 1.83 t ha−1 in PA. Soil, plants and litter contributed an average of 86.88%, 10.27% and 2.85% to forest SN, respectively; (3) the forest SC and SN decreased apparently with increasing altitude. The result demonstrates that changes in forest types can strongly affect the forest SC and SN. This study provides baseline information for forestland managers regarding forest resource utilization and C management.