Carbon Sequestration Dynamics in Peri-Urban Forests: Comparing Secondary Succession and Mature Stands under Varied Forest Management Practices

Cosmin Ion Braga, Stefan Petrea (), Gheorghe Raul Radu, Alexandru Bogdan Cucu, Tibor Serban, Alexandru Zaharia and Stefan Leca
Additional contact information
Cosmin Ion Braga: National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, 128 Eroilor Boulevard, 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Stefan Petrea: National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, 128 Eroilor Boulevard, 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Gheorghe Raul Radu: National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, 128 Eroilor Boulevard, 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Alexandru Bogdan Cucu: National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, 128 Eroilor Boulevard, 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Tibor Serban: National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, 128 Eroilor Boulevard, 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Alexandru Zaharia: National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, 128 Eroilor Boulevard, 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Stefan Leca: National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea”, 128 Eroilor Boulevard, 077190 Voluntari, Romania

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: This study examines the impact of silvicultural and land-use management practices on carbon sequestration in peri-urban forest ecosystems, with a particular focus on human-induced carbon dynamics. The study area’s complex profile spans from a compact native forest to varying degrees of fragmentation. This included areas undergoing secondary succession forest without silvicultural interventions (No-SI) alongside sites subjected to high-intensity (High-SI) and low-intensity silvicultural interventions (Low-SI). The research assessed carbon stocks and sequestration in different carbon pools (living biomass, dead organic matter and soil) using field data, allometric equations and laboratory analysis. Findings reveal a significant correlation between the intensity of anthropogenic interventions and variations in carbon stocks. The CASMOFOR model facilitated the reconstruction of carbon stock and carbon-stock change dynamics over four decades (1980–2022), showing disparities in carbon storage capabilities linked to the structural characteristics of the sites. The Low-SI site had the highest carbon stock in all carbon pools (378 tonnes C ha −1 ), which is more than double compared to High-SI (161 tonnes C ha −1 ) or No-SI sites (134 tonnes C ha −1 ). However, the secondary succession forest (No-SI) demonstrated the highest annual carbon stock change (4.4 tonnes C ha −1 year −1 ), two times higher than the Low-SI mature stand (2.2 tonnes C ha −1 year −1 ), emphasising the resilience of forest ecosystems to recover and sustain carbon sequestration capacities after harvesting if forest land use remains unchanged. The study underscores the significant importance of anthropogenic interventions on carbon dynamics, especially for living tree biomass, which has consequences in enhancing carbon sequestration and contributing to emission reduction targets.

Keywords: carbon stock; carbon model; trees biomass; dead organic matter; soil organic carbon; silvicultural interventions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:4:p:492-:d:1373219

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