Forest Carbon number and Forest Carbon flux at regional level (North Ostrobothnia) in Finland

Forest Carbon number and Forest Carbon flux can be calculated at regional level similarly as at National level. In Finland the current (2020) available regional data of National Forest Inventories (NFI), however, is restricted only to two latest NFIs, for the periods 2009-2013, (central year 2011) and 2014-2018 (central year 2016). The regional data restriction is merely due to 1994 administrative decision to redefine the borders of Finnish regions in a new manner. After the reform the amount of Finnish regions is 19.

 Let us take as example for calculations the region Pohjois-Pohjanmaa - North Ostrobothnia. By geography it is in central Finland.

 The amount of solid cubic meters  in North Ostrobothnia forests was 240 million cubic meters in 2011 and 263 million cubic meters in 2016. Correspondingly, the area of forest hectares was 3.244 million hectares and 3.235 million hectares in 2011 and 2016, respectively (NFI 11 and NFI 12 inventories).

 With average Carbon Multiplier CM = 0.35314 tn C/m3 the total Carbon stock (stems, branches, foliage, roots) in North Ostrobothnia was 84.8 million tons in 2011 and 92.9 million tons in 2016.

 Forest carbon number is calculated by dividing the total carbon stock (c, mill. tn C) at certain time point (t, years) with the forest land area (fl, mill. hectares) at certain time point, for the selected area.

 (1)     fc(t) = c(t) / fl(t)

 Carbon stock (c) equation for North Ostrobothnia is

 (2)     c(t) = 1.62444 * t - 3182.0

 Forest land (fl) equation for North Ostrobothnia is

 (3)     fl(t) = -0.0018 * t + 6.8638
The recent development of Forest Carbon (fc) in North Ostrobothnia region is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Forest Carbon in North Ostrobothnia


 The calculated forest Carbon number in North Ostrobothnia for year 2020 is 30.8 tons elementary Carbon per forest hectare. The number is a little below the national average, 36.3 tn C/ha.

 The Forest carbon flux (cf, kg C/ha/a) is the derivative for the Carbon stock equation (1):
(4)     cf = dfc / dt = (fc'(t) * fl(t) - fc(t) * fl'(t)) / (fl(t))^2
fc' is the derivative for forest carbon number (fc)

 fl' is the derivative for forest land area (fl)
The development of recent Forest carbon flux (cf) in North Ostrobothnia region is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Forest Carbon flux in North Ostrobothnia


The calculated forest Carbon flux into North Ostrobothnia forests for the year 2020 is 520 kilograms elementary Carbon per forest hectare. The flux is a typical Carbon sink flux, from the atmosphere to the forests.

 The regional North Ostrobothnia Carbon sink flux (520 kg C/ha/a) is quite clearly above the national average in Finland (413 kg C/ha/a). It tells about successful silviculture and carbon husbandry in this region.

Kommentit

Lähetä kommentti

Tämän blogin suosituimmat tekstit

Solid cubic meters of forest trees and their annual growth in Finland since 1921

Kuva
At national level the most remarkable above ground Carbon stock in Finland is in the forests. The most common basic measurement for the forests, is the amount of above ground solid cubic meters in the trees. It is normally measured for the stems only. The data correlates strongly with the total dry biomass in the trees (stems, branches, foliage, stumps and roots). Further, the solid cubic meters data correlates strongly with the amount of elementary Carbon in the trees (stems, branches, foliage, stumps and roots). Photo 1. Boreal forests are a remarkable Carbon stock in Finland. The changes in the amount of solid cubic meters in the trees indicate the changes in the Carbon stock. Positive change tells about the Carbon sink flux into the forests. Negative change tells about the Carbon source flux (or Carbon emissions flux) from the forests.  The regular inventory of forest trees, for their solid cubic meters, has been done in Finland since 1921 (Figure 1). The latest National Forest I
Lue lisää

Forest Carbon number and Forest Carbon flux in Ethiopia

Kuva
Forestry in general and carbon husbandry especially, are quite different in the  tropical highland country Ethiopia and in the boreal lowland country Finland. When Finland is basically covered everywhere with closed forests, Ethiopia has a mosaic type scenery where closed forests are rare. The densely populated highlands are now basically open agricultural and grazing areas. Modern agroforesty is changing the situation as smallholder farmers are planting trees along the borders of their parcels, and small woodlots for fuelwood and for traditional small house building. The Picture 1 describes the Ethiopian highland setup. There is an indigenous, original forest in the centre. It has been culturally conserved around a local coptic church (in a Sekela village, in Amhara region). The church area is surrounded by smallholder farmers crop fields with more or less scattered trees planted by the farmers themselves. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) would define the block in the centre of
Lue lisää

Reference Carbon fluxes in Finnish Carbon husbandry

Kuva
The important, key fluxes in Finnish Carbon husbandry are the two: (1) positive Carbon sink flux to Finnish forests and (2) negative Carbon emissions (source) flux from Finnish arable lands. The most accurate data in Finland have been measured for (1) in Finnish forests. In the year 2020 there is the calculated average Carbon sink flux to Finnish forests of magnitude +393 kg C/ha/a.  Picture 1. Coppicing Downy birch - promising tree species for boreal Carbon husbandry in peatlands The most accurate data for Finnish arable lands (2) has been measured for mineral soils. In the year 2020 there is the calculated average Carbon emissions flux from Finnish arable lands of magnitude -430 kg C/ha/a. (Figure 1). Figure 1. Reference Carbon fluxes. Sink fluxes positive, source (emissions) fluxes negative. There is still less comprehensive measurement series for Carbon emissions from arable lands on peat soils. However, it is assumed that the emissions from a peat arable hectare are about 10 tim
Lue lisää