Whole system carbon balance for a regional temperate forest in Northern Wisconsin, USA

Scott Peckham presented at AGU 2010 in San Francisco, California.

Abstract. The whole system carbon balance, biological plus industrial, was estimated for the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest, a temperate forest covering 600,000 hectares in Northern Wisconsin, USA. The biological system was modeled using a spatially explicit version of the ecosystem model Biome BGC. The industrial system was modeled using life cycle inventory models for wood and paper products.

Biome BGC was used to estimate net primary production, net ecosystem production, and timber harvest over the entire forest. The industrial carbon was estimated by applying life cycle inventory models of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from timber harvest and production of specific wood and paper products in the region.

In 2009, simulated net ecosystem production of the forest averaged 3.0 tonnes of carbon per hectare and harvest averaged 0.1 tonnes of carbon per hectare. Despite model uncertainty, the region is likely a net carbon sink, that is, net ecosystem production minus industrial carbon is greater than zero, even when carbon dioxide emissions from timber harvest and production of wood and paper products are included in the calculation of the entire forest system carbon budget.