Management of Birch Spruce Mixed Stands with Consideration of Carbon Stock in Biomass and Harvested Wood Products

Abstract

Forests play an important role in climate change mitigation. Usage of harvested wood products (HWP) can extend the carbon cycle by retaining carbon as well as preventing new fossil emission via substitution. We compared carbon balance of different management strategies of birch spruce mixed stands over an eight-year period: unmanaged, representing a decision of prolonged rotation, and managed, representing a decision of final harvest of birch and retention of spruce for continuous forest cover and regeneration harvest. Management resulted in a higher contribution of mixed stands to climate change mitigation, if the carbon stock (CS) in biomass as well carbon balance (CB) of wood product is jointly considered in comparison to no management (prolonged rotation). Assortment structure plays an important role in CB of HWP, therefore a practice ensuring higher outcome of longer-lasting wood products are beneficial to climate change mitigation.