Forest carbon calculators: A review for managers, policymakers and educators

Abstract

Forests play a critical role sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, partially offsetting greenhouse gas emissions and thereby mitigating climate change. Forest management, natural disturbances and the fate of carbon in wood products strongly influence carbon sequestration and emissions in the forest sector. Government policies, carbon offset and trading programs and sustainable forestry certification programs make it increasingly important that carbon dynamics are incorporated into forest management decisionmaking. Many analytical tools (which we refer to as forest carbon calculators) have been developed to quantify carbon stores and dynamics in the forest sector, but it can be difficult for potential users to know which carbon calculator(s) may be best for any given application. We review 12 forest carbon calculators, providing a classification and synthesis to assist forest managers, policymakers and educators. Additionally, we discuss key characteristics missing in existing forest carbon calculators that are needed for current and future forest management decisionmaking.