Carbon Husbandry

Picture 1. The forests in Kainuu region are typically coniferous forests, under practical silviculture Kainuu region is geographically a central or central-eastern region in Finland. It is forested, scarcely populated region. Forestry is an important source of livelihood in the region. The amount of solid cubic meters in 2011 in Kainuu forests was 163 million cubic meters and 172 million cubic meters in 2016. Correspondingly, the area of forest hectares was 1.930 million hectares and 1.928 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 Kainuu was 57.6 million tons in 2011 and 60.7 million tons in 2016. Forest carbon number is calculated by dividing the total carbon stock (c, tn C) at certain time point (t, years) with the forest land area (fl, hectares) at certain time point, for the selected area. (1)     fc(t) = c(t) / fl...

The definition of Forestry land in Finland is based on the volume growth of existing, living trees in the selected area - or on the potential volume growth in same area if there has been for instance a temporary forest clear cut in the area. In the standard silviculture the area is waiting for replanting or for natural recovery, in a few (less than 10) years. The Forestry land has been divided into four categories (Figure 1). First, when the average volume growth (stems only) is more than one solid cubic meter per hectare per annum, the land area is called Forest land. Second, when the average volume growth is between 0.1 - 1.0 m3/ha/a the land area is called Poorly productive forest land. Third, when the average growth is less than 0.1 m3/ha/a the land area is still included in the main category of forestry land but it has been nominated as Unproductive (forest) land. Fourth, under the main Forestry category there is still a minimal forestry land class called Forest roads and depots....