A model for regional analysis of carbon sequestration and timber production

The greenhouse effect is one of our most severe current environmental problems. Forests make up large ecosystems and can play an important role in mitigating the emissions of CO2, the most important greenhouse gas. Different management regimes affect the ability of forests to sequester carbon. It is important to investigate in what way we best can use forests to mitigate the greenhouse effect. It is also important to study what effect different actions, done to increase carbon sequestration, have on other offsets from forestry, such as the harvest level, the availability of forest biofuel and economic factors. In this study, we present an optimization model for analysis of carbon sequestration in forest biomass and forest products at a local or regional scale. The model consists of an optimizing stand-level simulator, and the solution is found using linear programming. Carbon sequestration was accounted for in terms of carbon price and its value computed as a function of carbon price and the net carbon storage in the forest. The same price was used as a cost for carbon emission originating from deterioration of wood products. We carried out a case study for a 3.2 million hectare boreal forest region in northern Sweden. The result showed that 1.48–2.05 million tonnes of carbon per year was sequestered in the area, depending on what carbon price was used. We conclude that assigning carbon storage a monetary value and removal of carbon in forest products as a cost, increases carbon sequestration in the forest and decreases harvest levels. The effect was largest in areas with low site-quality classes

Bog vegetation re-mapped after 63 and 103 years: expansion of Rhynchospora alba (Studies on Skagershultsmossen 2)

The vegetation in an area of the ombrotrophic bog Skagershultsmossen, South-Central Sweden, was mapped in 2010. The same area was previously surveyed in 1907 and 1970. Only small changes were found in 1970, in contrast to the situation in 2010, when a large shift in the vegetation was observed. The previously dominating vegetation type, lawns dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum, had more or less disappeared and was replaced by carpet vegetation dominated by Rhynchospora alba, Sphagnum tenellum and S. balticum. Also, the carpets dominated by Scheuchzeria palustris had decreased to a large extent. There are several possible climatic explanations behind the changes, and we suggest that increased frost action linked to the reduction in snow cover may be important. The shift in the vegetation has most certainly led to a decrease in peat productivity and, hence, a reduction in carbon sequestration by the bog is assumed. Skagershultsmossen is an important reference site for future studies of long-term vegetation changes

Omfördelning av Gränby Sportfälts effektuttag

There is currently a power shortage in the electric grid around Uppsala, which obstructs the local development, since it prevents companies from expanding their businesses. Sportfastigheter is a part of Uppsala municipality and operates the ice halls at Gränby Sportfält, which occasionally require large power outputs. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to examine whether flow batteries could be a possible technique to redistribute the power output from the electric grid. Type, size and steering of a flow battery have been examined through simulations. Flow batteries have also been compared to other energy storage methods and the implementation of a possible capacitor bank has been investigated. The result is, that flow batteries is a possible technique to cut power tops at Gränby sportfält, while other storage methods should be investigated more closely, since flow batteries is a rather new and unproven technique. If the installation would be made today, a more established storage method such as lithium ion batteries would be preferable, even though flow batteries have a promising future potential. The installation of a capacitor bank can be considered since it would compensate the reactive effect and, hence, reduce the power output at Gränby Sportfält.Det råder idag kapacitetsbrist i Uppsalas elnät vilket bromsar den lokala utvecklingen eftersom det hindrar företag från att bygga ut sina verksamheter. Sportfastigheter är en del av Uppsala kommun och förvaltar ishallarna vid Gränby Sportfält, som stundtals kräver mycket stora effektuttag. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om flödesbatterier kan vara en möjlig teknik för att omfördela effektuttaget från elnätet. Typ, storlek och styrning av ett flödesbatteri har undersökts genom simuleringar. Flödesbatterier har även jämförts med andra energilagringsmetoder och implementeringen av en eventuell kondensatorbank har undersökts. Resultatet är att flödesbatterier är en möjlig teknik för att kapa effekttopparna för Gränby Sportfält men att andra lagringsmetoder bör undersökas närmare, eftersom flödesbatterier är en relativt ny och obeprövad metod. Om installation skulle göras i dagsläget vore en mer etablerad lagringsmetod såsom litiumjonbatterier att föredra, även om flödesbatterier har en lovande framtidspotential. Installationen av en kondensatorbank kan övervägas då det skulle kompensera för den reaktiva effekten och på sätt minska effektuttaget för Gränby Sportfält

Decision support systems for forest management: a comparative analysis and assessment

Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2013. 12.005.[EN] Decision Support Systems (DSS) are essential tools for forest management practitioners to help take account of the many environmental, economic, administrative, legal and social aspects in forest management. The most appropriate techniques to solve a particular instance usually depend on the characteristics of the decision problem. Thus, the objective of this article is to evaluate the models and methods that have been used in developing DSS for forest management, taking into account all important features to categorize the forest problems. It is interesting to know the appropriate methods to answer specific problems, as well as the strengths and drawbacks of each method. We have also pointed out new approaches to deal with the newest trends and issues. The problem nature has been related to the temporal scale, spatial context, spatial scale, number of objectives and decision makers or stakeholders and goods and services involved. Some of these problem dimensions are inter-related, and we also found a significant relationship between various methods and problem dimensions, all of which have been analysed using contingency tables. The results showed that 63% of forest DSS use simulation modelling methods and these are particularly related to the spatial context and spatial scale and the number of people involved in taking a decision. The analysis showed how closely Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is linked to problem types involving the consideration of the number of objectives, also with the goods and services. On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between optimization and statistical methods and problem dimensions, although they have been applied to approximately 60% and 16% of problems solved by DSS for forest management, respectively. Metaheuristics and spatial statistical methods are promising new approaches to deal with certain problem formulations and data sources. Nine out of ten DSS used an associated information system (Database and/or Geographic Information System - GIS), but the availability and quality of data continue to be an important constraining issue, and one that could cause considerable difficulty in implementing DSS in practice. Finally, the majority of DSS do not include environmental and social values and focus largely on market economic values. The results suggest a strong need to improve the capabilities of DSS in this regard, developing and applying MCDM models and incorporating them in the design of DSS for forest management in coming years.The authors acknowledge the support received from European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action FP0804 - Forest Management Decision Support Systems "FORSYS"), the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the research project Multiple Criteria and Group Decision Making integrated into Sustainable Management, Ref. ECO2011-27369 and Ministry of Education (Training Plan of University Teaching). We also thank the editor and reviewers for their suggestions to improve the paper.Segura Maroto, M.; Ray, D.; Maroto Álvarez, MC. (2014). Decision support systems for forest management: a comparative analysis and assessment. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 101:55-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2013.12.005S556710

Taxonomic and functional turnover are decoupled in European peat bogs

In peatland ecosystems, plant communities mediate a globally significant carbon store. The effects of global environmental change on plant assemblages are expected to be a factor in determining how ecosystem functions such as carbon uptake will respond. Using vegetation data from 56 Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs across Europe, we show that in these ecosystems plant species aggregate into two major clusters that are each defined by shared response to environmental conditions. Across environmental gradients, we find significant taxonomic turnover in both clusters. However, functional identity and functional redundancy of the community as a whole remain unchanged. This strongly suggests that in peat bogs, species turnover across environmental gradients is restricted to functionally similar species. Our results demonstrate that plant taxonomic and functional turnover are decoupled, which may allow these peat bogs to maintain ecosystem functioning when subject to future environmental change

Development and refinement of proxy-climate indicators from peats

Peat, especially from acidic mires (bogs), is a natural archive of past environmental change. Reconstructions of past climate from bogs commenced in the 19th Century through examination of visible peat stratigraphy, and later formed the basis for a postglacial climatic scheme widely used in Northwest Europe. Nevertheless, misconceptions as to how bogs grow led to a 50-year lacuna in peat-climate study, before the concept of "cyclic regeneration" in bogs was refuted. In recent decades, research using proxyclimate indicators from bogs has burgeoned. A range of proxies for past hydrological change has been developed, as well as use of pollen, bog oaks and pines and other data to reconstruct past temperatures. Most of this proxy-climate research has been carried out in Northern Europe, but peat-based research in parts of Asia and North America has increased, particularly during the last decade, while research has also been conducted in Australia, New Zealand and South America. This paper reviews developments in proxy-climate reconstructions from peatlands; chronicles use of a range of palaeo-proxies such as visible peat stratigraphy, plant macrofossils, peat humification, testate amoebae and non-pollen palynomorphs; and explains the use of wiggle-match radiocarbon dating and relationship to climate shifts. It details other techniques being used increasingly, such as biomarkers, stable-isotopes, inorganic geochemistry and estimation of dust flux; and points to new proxies under development. Although explicit protocols have been developed recently for research on ombrotrophic mires, it must be recognised that not all proxies and techniques have universal applicability, owing to differences in species assemblages, mire formation, topographic controls, and geochemical characteristics

Miombo woodland under threat : Consequences for tree diversity and carbon storage

Agriculture is expanding rapidly in the miombo woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. Clear felling results in the loss of species and ecosystem services. The remaining woodland is used as a vital support system for the farming communities, and the impact of this utilisation on biodiversity and ecosystem service provision is not clear. Understanding these effects will aid the development of effective, sustainable land management strategies for multiple outcomes, including biodiversity conservation and resource utilisation. This study provides new data on miombo woodland tree species diversity, structure and carbon storage from a 8766km2 landscape in south-western Tanzania, which is undergoing rapid conversion to tobacco cultivation.Human utilisation of the woodland was classified by ground surveys which recorded evidence of use (e.g. cut poles and timber, removal of bark and roots, access routes). Nine sites were surveyed and categorised into three groups: high, medium and low utilisation. To determine the effect of utilisation on the tree community stem density, diameter at breast height, tree species richness and carbon storage were recorded. In the low utilisation sites carbon storage was similar to that found in other miombo woodlands (28tHa-1), and the Shannon Wiener diversity score for tree species diversity was 3.44. However, in the high utilisation sites, tree species diversity (2.86) and carbon storage declined (14.6tHa-1). In areas of moderate utilisation diversity and carbon storage were maintained, but the structure of the woodland was affected, with a reduction of Class 1 (Diameter at Breast Height (DBH)<10cm) stems, demonstrating low recruitment which leads to a reduction in sustainability. Tree species richness and abundance demonstrated an intermediate disturbance effect in relation to utilisation, with highest levels at medium utilisation sites.Key miombo woodland species from the subfamily Caesalpinioideae in the two genera Brachystegia and Julbernardia were present in all sites, but the frequency of Brachystegia species declined by 60% from low to high utilisation. The IUCN near-threatened timber species Pterocarpus angolensis, highly protected in Tanzania, was harvested throughout the study site, and the majority of trees recorded were immature (DBH. ≤. 20. cm), suggesting that it is commercially extinct for the foreseeable future.These findings illustrate that in miombo woodlands with low to medium utilisation levels key miombo species are retained, and tree species diversity and carbon storage remains optimal. Sustainable land management plans need to regulate utilisation within miombo landscapes and retain areas of woodland. This will ensure their long term viability, and continue to support the 100. million people who are reliant on miombo woodlands for their goods and services