Estate-Level Economics of Carbon Storage in Forest Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

The functions of carbon sequestration and storage in forest ecosystems for alleviating global climate change have been widely recognized, and international and domestic activities have focused on protecting and planting forests. As conventional forestry is mainly interested in maximizing revenue from harvesting timber, the economics of carbon storage have supported the decision-making process to increase forest carbon storage at the estate level. In particular, characteristics of the forest ecosystem (e.g., growth rate, species) and economic factors (e.g., prices of carbon and timber, interest rate) are mainly considered. Recently, there have been many other factors affecting the decision-making process of forest management. Forest management technologies have been developed and improved by research and development (R&D). Technology mechanisms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have supported international activities for protecting and managing forests based on technological cooperation. Green and climate finance has supported international cooperation projects and programs for various benefits (e.g., co-benefits, ecosystem services) in the forestry sector. In parallel, related policies and regulations on forest management have been legislated and changed. Therefore, it is necessary to expand our understanding in response to various emerging issues and themes in the world. This Special Issue aims to explore various possibilities for enriching perspectives on the estate-level economics of carbon storage in forest ecosystems, also considering the impact of technology, policy, and international cooperation.

Potential topics mainly include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Cost-benefit analysis with consideration of multiple benefits (including carbon storage);
• Quantitative assessment considering the impact of recent or upcoming international policies and regulations on estate-level forest management (not solely focusing on carbon tax and emission trading systems);
• Empirical case study providing a result of intervention (international cooperation program and project) on the livelihood of the local community at the estate level;
• Changes in decision-making processes caused by applying or developing forest management technology.

Dr. Jongyeol Lee
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• quantitative analysis
• cost–benefit analysis
• ecosystem services
• policy and regulation
• intervention
• technology
• forest management