Carbon dioxide is one of the most important greenhouse gases responsible for global
climate change. Terrestrial ecosystems are widely recognized as useful mechanisms, as
they store large quantities of carbon in their bodies. In this context, the present study
aims at analyzing carbon stocks in forest (both productive and degraded), grassland,
and agricultural ecosystems of Kizildag Planning Unit. To this end, forest inventory data,
published statistics, and GIS tools were used for modeling carbon densities of these three
ecosystems in a spatially explicit manner. Moreover, carbon contents were estimated for
different pools including above- and below-ground biomass, litter layer, deadwood, and
soil components. Results showed that a total of nearly 3.5 million tons of carbon stored
in the entire study area. When standardized to per unit area, productive and degraded
forests stocked the most significant amounts followed by grassland and cropland land
use/land cover (LULC) classes. The average density was 120.8 tons ha-1 for productive
forests, while it was 32.3 tons ha-1 for croplands. The vast majority of these amounts
stocked in soil pools for each LULC classes. Therefore, special attention should be paid
for soil carbon studies which are very rare in the region. Regarding spatial distribution,
Kizildag showed a rather non-homogeneous pattern in terms of carbon densities.
Hotspots generally accumulated in the southwestern parts, as well as near the east
border of the study area. Carbon densities could be as high as 200-245 tons ha-1 in these
hotspots. Those areas were dominated by mixed stands of Taurus fir, cedar, and black
pine at older ages and they were designated primarily for protective functions in the
forest management plan. It is concluded that vast degraded forestlands in the region offer
great opportunities to forest managers as an effective mechanism in combatting climate
change. Therefore, rehabilitation, afforestation, and forest protection activities should be
accelerated as possible