エストニアの針葉樹・混交林における炭素フラックスと蓄積、および異なる伐採方法が炭素隔離に及ぼす影響

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Provides empirical data on carbon dynamics in mixed vs pure stands and partial harvesting effects, useful for forest carbon modeling.

🏢実務担当者:Forest managers can use findings to choose harvesting methods that maintain carbon sinks, aligning with sustainability goals.

🏛政策担当者:Informs climate policy on forest management practices to enhance carbon sequestration, relevant for national climate targets.

Forest management in Northern Europe has traditionally focused on even-aged coniferous stands. However, due to changing climate conditions, the management of mixed stands and the maintenance of continuous forest cover have received increasing attention. At the same time, knowledge regarding the production capacity and carbon (C) balance of mixed forests and forest managed under continuous-cover forestry remains relatively limited. The biometric C budgeting approach was used to examine C cycling in the studied chronosequences and to evaluate the effect of different management methods on ecosystem C balance. Both mixed silver birch–Norway spruce stands as well as pure Norway spruce stands demonstrated considerable C sinks potential, with net ecosystem production (NEP) values ranging from 1.2 to 7 t C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ across studied chronosequences. In both dataset current annual production peaked in middle-aged stages. The net primary production (NPP) of trees served as the main driver of dynamics of C sequestration, while soil heterotrophic respiration remained relatively stable across the successional gradient of the stands. However, the average C stock per age class accumulated in the trees was higher in pure stands than in mixed forests, at 142.5 and 97.5 t C ha⁻¹ respectively. The short-term effects of clear-cutting versus transitional selection cutting on NEP were evaluated in mature Scots pine stands. Although the applied partial harvesting in mature Scots pine stands reduced annual NPP by 20–40%, thinned stands remained C neutral or acted as C sinks, annual NEP values varied between -0.2 and 1.9 t C ha-1 yr-1. Clear-cut areas acted as C sources with annual C loss at -2.4 to -4.1 t C ha-1 yr-1. These findings demonstrate that both stand composition and management practices influence forest C dynamics and should be considered in climate-smart forest management strategies.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.15159/emu.177first seen 2026-09-02 04:55:13