Potential carbon uptake in rotation and continuous cover forests
(2025) In Student thesis series INES NGEM01 20242Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
- Abstract
- Forests are critical carbon sinks that mitigate anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, a primary driver of climate change. However, the impact that forest management methods have on the ecosystem carbon exchange is under debate and the potential carbon sink strength of forests is still uncertain. In this study, annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and forest age data from rotation forests (RFs) in mid-southern Fennoscandia and a continuous cover forest (CCF) in southern Sweden were analysed both to investigate the temporal dynamics of NEP in RFs and to compare their potential carbon uptake with the one of a CCF during a rotation period. The study estimates that the annual photosynthetic carbon uptake in RFs compensates for the annual... (More)
- Forests are critical carbon sinks that mitigate anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, a primary driver of climate change. However, the impact that forest management methods have on the ecosystem carbon exchange is under debate and the potential carbon sink strength of forests is still uncertain. In this study, annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and forest age data from rotation forests (RFs) in mid-southern Fennoscandia and a continuous cover forest (CCF) in southern Sweden were analysed both to investigate the temporal dynamics of NEP in RFs and to compare their potential carbon uptake with the one of a CCF during a rotation period. The study estimates that the annual photosynthetic carbon uptake in RFs compensates for the annual ecosystem respiration between 11 and 23 years after the clear-cut on average in mid-southern Sweden based on models. The same occurs between 16 and 25 years specifically in southern Sweden based on models but only after 8 years according to direct measurements. Furthermore, the total carbon dioxide emissions after the harvest were estimated to be counterbalanced by the uptake of the growing vegetation after 33 to 57 years on average in mid-southern Sweden and between 47 and 53 years on average only in southern Sweden. Finally, in southern Sweden, the cumulative carbon uptake of a CCF is overcome by that of a RF when the latter reaches approximately 60 years of age, suggesting that, over the average 85-year rotation period, RFs sequester more carbon dioxide than CCFs. Nevertheless, as in the area closer to the studied CCF the rotation period can be as short as 45 years, in this region a CCF would be a stronger carbon sink than a RF. It is remarkable to notice that the models had a better performance when analysing data from mid-southern Sweden than only the southern area due to data restriction. This impacted the accuracy of the calculation of the key ages and caused an overestimation of the carbon sink strength of southern Swedish RFs. This study opens the path for further investigations on region-specific forest management methods that maximise carbon uptake and can be implemented in climate change mitigation actions. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- What forests store more carbon?
Forests are a key allied in the fight against climate change: by uptaking CO2 they contrast the buildup of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Anyway, the way we manage a forest can make a big difference in their storage capability. So, which is the most efficient way to capture CO2 through this type of ecosystem?
In Sweden, the two most common ways to manage forests are rotation and continuous cover forestry. Rotation forestry follows a cycle of harvesting and replanting, growing a stand with trees of the same age. On the other hand, continuous cover forestry maintains a mix of tree ages and only the older ones are cut at regular intervals.
To understand which approach captures more CO2, the net flux... (More) - What forests store more carbon?
Forests are a key allied in the fight against climate change: by uptaking CO2 they contrast the buildup of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Anyway, the way we manage a forest can make a big difference in their storage capability. So, which is the most efficient way to capture CO2 through this type of ecosystem?
In Sweden, the two most common ways to manage forests are rotation and continuous cover forestry. Rotation forestry follows a cycle of harvesting and replanting, growing a stand with trees of the same age. On the other hand, continuous cover forestry maintains a mix of tree ages and only the older ones are cut at regular intervals.
To understand which approach captures more CO2, the net flux of this gas in both types of forests has to be compared. This value is the balance between the CO2 uptake by plants and its release through respiration of both plants and soil microorganisms. It can result in a storage or in a loss, depending on which process prevails. While in continuous cover forests this balance tends to stay stable over time, unless disturbed, in rotation forests the situation is more dynamic. After harvest vegetation is absent, so the only flux is the emission of CO2 from soil. It is only when the forest is planted and the trees start to grow that the photosynthesis comes into play and can reduce or even overcome the CO2 losses, making the ecosystem a CO2 sink.
The long-term winner
In this study, the changes over time of the annual net CO2 flux from rotation forests in central-southern Sweden were analysed. The results show that it takes 11 to 23 years after harvest for annual photosynthesis to catch up with annual soil emissions. Nevertheless, the losses occurred every year from the cut are not offset by the CO2 stored by plants until the forest reaches between 33 and 57 years of age.
But actually, which forest uptakes more carbon? By comparing the total CO₂ stored over the years between two harvests in a rotation forest, the results show that in southern Sweden rotation forests begin to store more CO₂ than continuous cover forests once they reach 65 years of age. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9202279
- author
- Zudettich, Giulia LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- NGEM01 20242
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Physical Geography and Ecosystem analysis, Continuous cover forestry, Rotation forestry, Carbon sequestration, Climate change mitigation
- publication/series
- Student thesis series INES
- report number
- 712
- language
- English
- id
- 9202279
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-23 13:20:38
- date last changed
- 2025-06-23 13:20:38
@misc{9202279,
abstract = {{Forests are critical carbon sinks that mitigate anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, a primary driver of climate change. However, the impact that forest management methods have on the ecosystem carbon exchange is under debate and the potential carbon sink strength of forests is still uncertain. In this study, annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and forest age data from rotation forests (RFs) in mid-southern Fennoscandia and a continuous cover forest (CCF) in southern Sweden were analysed both to investigate the temporal dynamics of NEP in RFs and to compare their potential carbon uptake with the one of a CCF during a rotation period. The study estimates that the annual photosynthetic carbon uptake in RFs compensates for the annual ecosystem respiration between 11 and 23 years after the clear-cut on average in mid-southern Sweden based on models. The same occurs between 16 and 25 years specifically in southern Sweden based on models but only after 8 years according to direct measurements. Furthermore, the total carbon dioxide emissions after the harvest were estimated to be counterbalanced by the uptake of the growing vegetation after 33 to 57 years on average in mid-southern Sweden and between 47 and 53 years on average only in southern Sweden. Finally, in southern Sweden, the cumulative carbon uptake of a CCF is overcome by that of a RF when the latter reaches approximately 60 years of age, suggesting that, over the average 85-year rotation period, RFs sequester more carbon dioxide than CCFs. Nevertheless, as in the area closer to the studied CCF the rotation period can be as short as 45 years, in this region a CCF would be a stronger carbon sink than a RF. It is remarkable to notice that the models had a better performance when analysing data from mid-southern Sweden than only the southern area due to data restriction. This impacted the accuracy of the calculation of the key ages and caused an overestimation of the carbon sink strength of southern Swedish RFs. This study opens the path for further investigations on region-specific forest management methods that maximise carbon uptake and can be implemented in climate change mitigation actions.}},
author = {{Zudettich, Giulia}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{Student thesis series INES}},
title = {{Potential carbon uptake in rotation and continuous cover forests}},
year = {{2025}},
}