Inventory Approaches to Forest Baselines: MAV Bottomland
Hardwoods Case Study
James E. Smith and Linda S. HeathNortheastern Research Station
Durham, NH
Forestry and Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Modeling ForumOctober 12-15, 2004Shepherdstown, WV
Topics
• Inventory of MAV bottomland hardwood forests
• Carbon estimates from inventory – FORCARB
• 1605b default tables for forestry – average carbon growth and yield
• Uncertainty related to site-to-site heterogeneity
• Case study: Bottomland hardwood estimates for afforestation scenarios
##
##
##
#
#
#
##
###
# #
####
###
### #
#
#
## #
###
#
##
#
#
#
# #
##
#
#
#
##
#
##
# #
#
#
##
####
#
#
#
#
#
#####
## ##
#
#
#
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
##
###
#
#
#
#
#
#
###
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
#
#
##
##
#
#
#
#
#
##
#
#
##
##
# #
#
#
#
#
#
#
##
# # #
##
##
## ##
#
#
###
#
#
#
# ##
#
###
#
#
##
##
##
#
##
#
#
#
#
#####
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
#
##
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
#
#
##
##
####
## ##
##
#
# #
#
##
#
#
#
#
#
##
##
##
#
##
#
##
#
#
## ##
## #
#
#
#
###
# #
#
##
#
##
###
#
#
# ##
##
#
### #
# ##
#
#
#
###
#
#
#
##
#####
# ## #
### #
#
#
# #
###
#
# ##
## ###
#
#
###
#
# ###
###
#
#
##
##
##
##
#
##
#
# ##
#
##
#
#
#
####
##
###
#
#
##
##
##
#
#
#
#
##
####
###
###
#
### ##
#
# ######
#
##
## #
##
##
#
###
##
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
# #
#
### #
##
##
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
##
#
##
###
#
##
##
#
#
#
#
##
#
### #
##
#
#
##
#
#
#
######
#
#
#
##
#
##
#
##
##
#
#
#
######
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
##
##
#
####
###
#####
#
#
#
#
##
#
#
# ##
#
#
#
#
##
#
#
#
## ###
##
## #
###
# ###
###
#
#
#
#
#
####
##
#
##
#
###
#
#
#
#
#
#
#####
###
##
##
##
##
##
####
##
#
##
##
##
#
#
#
# ####
#
#
#
##
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
#
## ##
##
##
##
###
## ##
#
#
##
#
##
#
# ###
###
#
###
###
##
#
##
###
###
#
#
##
#
##
###
#
#
##
##
#
#
###
#
###
###
#
##
#
#
####
#
##
##
#
#
#####
##
#
###
#
##
#
##
###
##
##
#
###
#
####
##
##
##
##
#
##
##
##
#
#
##
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
FIA permanent inventory plots in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain ecoregion
Bottomland hardwoods
Other forest types
MAV Bottomland Hardwoods: Current area and carbon stocks summarized from FIADB and FORCARB
State Survey year
All forest Bottomland hardwoods
Planted bottomland hardwoods
Carbon in bottomland hardwoods
-------- 1000 acres -------- Mt
Arkansas 2002 2,262 931 20 67.2
Illinois 2002 8 8 0 0.5
Kentucky 2002 50 41 2 3.6
Louisiana 2003 3,352 1,425 12 87.6
Mississippi 1994 1,094 1,062 19 65.4
Missouri 2001 155 111 2 8.8
Tennessee 1997 122 119 0 7.0
7,043 3,697 56 240.1
Change in bottomland hardwoods between two successive surveys
State/
Survey Year
Natural
Regeneration Planted
1000 acres
Arkansas
1995 1,850 17
2002 911 20
Louisiana
1991 2,891 34
2003 1,413 12
FORCARB: Regional and National Estimates of Carbon in Forest Ecosystems and in Harvested Wood
Growth
Removals
Litterfall,Mortality Treefall
Harvestresidue
Humification
Decomposition
SOIL
DOWNDEADWOOD
FORESTFLOOR
ATMOSPHERE
STANDINGDEAD TREES
HARVESTEDCARBON
BIOMASS(Live Vegetation)
LANDFILLSENERGY
Imports/Exports
PRODUCTS
Mortality
Recycling
decay
processing
burning
disposal burning
burning
decay
decay
Growth
Removals
Litterfall,Mortality Treefall
Harvestresidue
Humification
Decomposition
SOIL
DOWNDEADWOOD
FORESTFLOOR
ATMOSPHERE
STANDINGDEAD TREES
HARVESTEDCARBON
BIOMASS(Live Vegetation)
LANDFILLSENERGY
Imports/Exports
PRODUCTS
Mortality
Recycling
decay
processing
burning
disposal burning
burning
decay
decay
Inventory data, forest growth models, or state-level aggregate data
Process or empirical models to simulate specific carbon pools or transfer between pools
Based on:
&
Condition B = Nonforest Land Use
Condition A =Forest Land Use
Old 1/5-acre plot
Inventory data from FIA Phase 2 permanent plots
Carbon estimates are based on tree species and dimensions, forest type, volume of growing stock, and stand age.
PRODUCTS
IN USE
Lumber
Plywood
Other panels
Solid wood
Paper
Recycled Paper
LANDFILLS
Landfill wood
Landfill paper
EMISSIONS
Waste wood, decayed or burned with no energy captured
Decay of products & landfills
BURNED FOR ENERGY
Products sent to landfills, recycling, emissions
FORCARB also estimates components of carbon in harvested wood
Biomass from tree data:Examples of generalized equations for 6 select species groups
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
0 20 40 60 80 100
Ab
ove
gro
un
d b
iom
ass
(kg
)
aspen/cottonwood
hardmaple/oak
cedar/larch
Douglas-fir
pine
woodland
dbh (cm)
SOURCE: Jenkins and others, 2003
Forest floor carbon accumulation, decay, and total Example: Southern pines
0
10
20
30
0 25 50 75
Years
Ca
rbo
n m
ass
de
nsi
ty (
Mg
/ha
)
Mixed or unknownage
SOURCE: Smith and Heath, 2002
accumulation
TOTAL
decomposition
Comparison of FORCARB results and available P3 data for South Central Bottomland Hardwoods,
1.2 3.6 6 8.4 10.8 13.2
Forest Floor (C t/ha)
FORCARB from P3
n=3635n=47
Comparison of FORCARB results and available P3 data for South Central Bottomland Hardwoods,
0.6 4.2 7.8 11.4 15
Down Dead Wood (C t/ha)
FORCARB from P3
n=3635n=25
1605b Default Tables for Forestry
Carbon growth and yield tables
Based on regional averages from growth and yield of merchantable volume, FORCARB estimators, and FIA inventory data.
AgeMean
VolumeMean Carbon Density
Live tree Standing dead tree
Under-story
Down dead wood
Forest floor
Soil organic
Total nonsoil
Years m3/ha Metric tons carbon per hectare
0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.9 0
5 0 29.3 0.0 1.7 0.0 1.1 38.0 32
10 11 34.7 1.0 1.7 1.1 2.1 39.6 41
15 23 40.2 1.8 1.7 1.9 3.0 42.2 49
20 39 47.9 2.6 1.6 2.7 3.7 44.5 59
25 54 54.9 3.2 1.6 3.3 4.4 46.3 67
30 71 62.9 3.8 1.6 3.9 5.0 47.6 77
35 87 70.3 4.3 1.6 4.4 5.5 48.4 86
40 104 77.9 4.7 1.6 4.9 6.0 48.9 95
Afforestation of bottomland hardwoods:DRAFT 1605b default table
NOTE: These estimates are undergoing internal review.
Years
0 20 40 60 80
Car
bo
n (
t/h
a)
0
50
100
150
200
250
Afforestation of Bottomland Hardwoods, South Central U.S.
Live trees
Soil organic carbon to 1m
Forest floor
Down dead wood
Understory
Standing dead trees
DRAFT
Years
0 20 40 60 80
Car
bo
n (
t/h
a)
0
50
100
150
200
Afforestation followed by harvest with carbon in harvested wood products - Bottomland Hardwoods, South Central U.S.
Emitted
Emitted with energy capture
Landfills
Products in use
DRAFT
0
100
200
300
0 100 200 300 400 500
Volume (m3/ha)
Liv
e T
ree
Ca
rbo
n (
t/h
a)
Volume to live tree carbon from table relative to plot-level estimates - Bottomland Hardwoods
Estimates from tableEstimates from table
Plot-level estimates
0
100
200
300
400
500
0 20 40 60 80 100
Years
Vo
lum
e (
m3 /h
a)
Estimates from tableEstimates from table
Yield predictions from table relative to plot-level estimates - Bottomland Hardwoods
Plot-level estimates
0
100
200
300
0 20 40 60 80 100
Years
Liv
e T
ree
Ca
rbo
n (
t/h
a)
Uncertainty from site-to-site variability for age-based predictions of live tree carbon
Bottomland Hardwoods
Estimates from tableEstimates from table
Plot-level estimates
50 100 150 200
Carbon Stock (t C/ha)
Uncertainty in total carbon stock at 20-years from Monte Carlo simulation - Bottomland Hardwoods
+41%-30%
Years
0 20 40 60 80
Car
bo
n (
t/h
a)
0
50
100
150
200
250
Afforestation of Bottomland Hardwoods, South Central U.S.
Live trees
Soil organic carbon to 1m
Forest floor
Down dead wood
Understory
Standing dead trees
DRAFT
Carbon sequestration in 2015
• 52,700 t C, based on the 51,900 acres identified as planted by the FIADB.
• To achieve 5 Mt C, need to plant 5,830,000 acres now.
• 474,000 t C, possible if 50,000 acres were planted each year from 1991 through 2000.
Carbon sequestration in 2015
• 52,700 t C, based on the 51,900 acres identified as planted by the FIADB.
• To achieve 5 Mt C, need to plant 5,830,000 acres now.
• 474,000 t C, possible if 50,000 acres were planted each year from 1991 through 2000.
63% Live Tree19% Soil18% Other
52% Live Tree24% Soil23% Other
64% Live Tree18% Soil18% Other