Advances in Forest Carbon Sequestration and Emission Reduction Potential

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2927

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China of Jiangsu Province, Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Restoration in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Interests: soil chemistry; soil biogeochemistry; carbon sequestration; greenhouse gases emission; soil respiration; litter decomposition

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Guest Editor
Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: restoration of degraded ecosystems; soil carbon cycles; biochar

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Guest Editor
College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010011, China
Interests: carbon sequestration; carbon emissions; land use change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) has increased rapidly since the Industrial Resolution, and high-intensity CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions from terrestrial ecosystems are closely related to the greenhouse effect. Reductions in the emissions of GHGs and the increase in carbon storage in the terrestrial ecosystem are potential strategies used to mitigate the greenhouse effect. Forests are important natural carbon sinks, which hold about 80% of the aboveground biomass C and about 40% of the below-ground C in terrestrial ecosystems. Moreover, soil, as the largest carbon storage pool in the terrestrial ecosystem, has a carbon storage quantity of approximately 2500 Pg C. Therefore, new research into GHGs emissions from different forest ecosystems is urgently needed, and strategies for carbon sequestration in forest soils are constituted very promising approaches. This Special Issue aims to give an overview of the most recent advances in the field of forest soil carbon sequestration and reductions in GHGs emissions in diverse areas. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Forest CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions;
  • Forest soil carbon sequestration;
  • Soil organic carbon dynamics in forests/agroforests;
  • GHGs emission or carbon stock change during the restoration of degraded ecosystems;
  • Response of forest health/structure to warming/global change;
  • C/N cycles under forestation or deforestation;
  • Future perspectives for forest carbon sequestration;
  • Advances in forest soil emission reduction.

Dr. Jian Xiang
Dr. Tiehu He
Dr. Gang Liu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • forest carbon sequestration
  • GHGs emission
  • soil organic carbon
  • nitrogen
  • forestation
  • deforestation
  • CO2
  • CH4
  • N2O

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3647 KiB  
Article
Improving Carbon Sequestration in Wetlands Using Native Poplar Genotypes for Reforestation Purposes
by Simone Cantamessa, Pier Mario Chiarabaglio, Daniele Rizza, Giacomo Debernardi and Sara Bergante
Forests 2024, 15(9), 1641; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091641 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 648
Abstract
From the early 2000s, many forestation projects were carried out in the flooding areas of the Po River to preserve abandoned or damaged riverbanks and establish natural populations of Populus nigra L. for species conservation and future seed collection activities. Different clones of [...] Read more.
From the early 2000s, many forestation projects were carried out in the flooding areas of the Po River to preserve abandoned or damaged riverbanks and establish natural populations of Populus nigra L. for species conservation and future seed collection activities. Different clones of P. nigra, belonging to a collection of the Centre for Forestry and Wood (CREA-FL), were planted. The group named ‘POBIA’ comprises 35 selected clones chosen for their survival ability and fast growth. After plantation and a few essential cultural inputs, four establishments were left undisturbed. This study highlights the survival, growth, and performance results of the ‘POBIA’ group compared to other not-selected clones. The ‘POBIA’ clones showed a higher survival than the not-selected clones. Moreover, the ‘POBIA’ groups showed a significantly higher C sink performance in three of four establishments, reaching 278.6 t ha−1 of CO2 obtained in thirteen years in one site. The management of ‘POBIA’ clones in reforestation projects agrees with the EU recommendations for a vital ecosystem service. Full article
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21 pages, 4851 KiB  
Article
Carbon Sequestration Characteristics of Typical Sand-Fixing Plantations in the Shiyang River Basin of Northwest China
by Quanlin Ma, Xinyou Wang, Fang Chen, Linyuan Wei, Dekui Zhang and Hujia Jin
Forests 2024, 15(9), 1548; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091548 - 2 Sep 2024
Viewed by 560
Abstract
A predominant management practice to reduce wind erosion in the arid deserts of northwest China is the planting of shrubs. However, the carbon sequestration capacity of these sand-fixing plantations has not received much attention. In this study, the carbon sequestration capacity of six [...] Read more.
A predominant management practice to reduce wind erosion in the arid deserts of northwest China is the planting of shrubs. However, the carbon sequestration capacity of these sand-fixing plantations has not received much attention. In this study, the carbon sequestration capacity of six typical sand-fixing plantations (Haloxylon ammodendron (C. A. Mey.) Bunge, Caragana korshinskii Kom., Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb., Calligonum mongolicum Turcz., Artemisia desertorum Spreng. and Hedysarum scoparium Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) in the Shiyang River Basin were compared and analyzed. We evaluated how carbon sequestration may vary among different species, and examined if plantation age or management style (such as the additional construction of sand barriers, enclosure) positively or negatively influenced the carbon storage potential of these plantation ecosystems. Our results showed that all six plantations could store carbon, but plant species is the controlling factor driving carbon stock accumulation in plantations. The actual organic carbon stored beneath 25-year-old T. ramosissima, H. ammodendron, C. korshinskii, H. scoparium, C. mongolicum and A. desertorum plantations was 45.80, 31.80, 20.57, 20.2, 8.24 and1.76 Mg ha−1, respectively. Plantations using a clay–sand barrier had 1.3 times the carbon sequestration capacity of plantations that only used wheat straw and sand barriers. Similarly, enclosed plantations had 1.4 times the carbon storage capacity of unenclosed plantations. Plantation age greatly impacts carbon sequestration capacity. A 25-year-old H. ammodendron plantation has a carbon sequestration capacity three times greater than that of 3-year plantation. We conclude that while afforesting arid areas, H. ammodendron and T. ramosissima should be prioritized, and priority also should be given to using clay–sand barrier and enclosure. Full article
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18 pages, 2670 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Carbon Sequestration Potential for Chinese Fir Plantations Using Genetic Algorithm
by Zhiqiang Min, Yingze Tian, Chen Dong and Yuling Chen
Forests 2024, 15(9), 1524; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091524 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 558
Abstract
Carbon sequestration management of plantation forests has become an important topic in the current context of vigorously promoting carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and will be the goal and task of the forest industry for a long time. The objective of this [...] Read more.
Carbon sequestration management of plantation forests has become an important topic in the current context of vigorously promoting carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and will be the goal and task of the forest industry for a long time. The objective of this study was to explore the applications of genetic algorithm (GA) in both near-optimal thinning regimes at stand level and near-optimal forest management planning at the regional level under the forest management objectives of carbon sequestration. This research integrates a carbon assessment technique with GA optimization to effectively enhance the management of carbon sequestration within plantation forests. Results indicate that the density effect model was an accurate and reliable carbon assessment method (R2 = 0.8701, RMSE = 7.548). The GA optimization approach is efficient in the near-optimal thinning regime and the appropriate forest management planning schedule under the forest management objectives of carbon sequestration. In the research area, the near-optimal carbon sequestration is 38,045.71 t, and in the 15 years from 2016 to 2030, the carbon sequestration of 20 Chinese fir stands should meet the annual thinning constraint condition of not less than 50 t. A near-optimal decision of the carbon sequestration management of plantation forests based on GA provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the compilation of a forest management plan at the stand and regional scales in the plantation operation management of carbon sequestration. Full article
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13 pages, 1864 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Dynamics of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Island-like Forest Soils in the Sanjiang Plain: Impacts of Soil Characteristics and Climatic Factors
by Nan Xu, Jinbo Li, Haixiu Zhong, Yuan Wang, Juexian Dong and Xuechen Yang
Forests 2024, 15(6), 996; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060996 - 6 Jun 2024
Viewed by 742
Abstract
Using the static chamber–gas chromatography method, this study investigates the flux characteristics of CO2, CH4, and N2O in the soils of three typical island-like forests in the Sanjiang Plain during the growing season (May to September), as [...] Read more.
Using the static chamber–gas chromatography method, this study investigates the flux characteristics of CO2, CH4, and N2O in the soils of three typical island-like forests in the Sanjiang Plain during the growing season (May to September), as well as their relationships with environmental factors. The results indicate that the soils of the Broadleaf mixed forest, Quercus mongolica forest, and Betula platyphylla forest act as emission sources for CO2 and N2O, with average fluxes of 433.92, 452.41, and 358.17 μg·m−2·h−1 for CO2 and 12.48, 13.02, and 10.51 μg·m−2·h−1 for N2O, respectively. The differences among forest types are not significant. All three forest types serve as sinks for CH4, with average fluxes of −22.52, −23.29, and −0.76 μg·m−2·h−1. The Betula platyphylla forest has a significantly weaker absorption intensity compared to the other types (p < 0.01). The measured environmental factors collectively explain 66.58% of the variability in greenhouse gas fluxes in the island-like forests, with soil temperature, soil moisture, and total nitrogen content being the main influencing factors in the region. Rising temperatures favor the emission of CO2 and N2O and the absorption of CH4 in all three forest types. Increased soil moisture inhibits the absorption of CH4 in the Broadleaf mixed forest and Quercus mongolica forest, while higher levels of alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen enhance the N2O flux in the Quercus mongolica forest. Soil organic carbon and soil pH significantly influence only the greenhouse gas fluxes of the Betula platyphylla forest. Full article
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