Carbon sink capacity of Swiss forests
2008
Wolf, A., ETH Zentrum, Zuerich (Switzerland). Institut fuer Terrestrische Oekosysteme
To assess the carbon sink capacity of Swiss forests, we summarize what is known about the carbon content of Swiss forests today, considering carbon stored in the trees as well as in soils. We explain briefly how climate influences carbon uptake and carbon emissions from forest ecosystems. Finally, we analyze simulation studies, which investigate the future development of carbon pools and fluxes in Swiss forests. We found that carbon stocks in Swiss forests are already high today, hence the growth potential that would lead to further carbon uptake is comparatively small. Still, within the next decades Swiss forests are likely to act as carbon sinks as long as management does not change dramatically. The afforestation of abandoned land and the change in treeline will be mainly responsible for the additional uptake of carbon. In the next decades, management decisions will influence the sink strength of Swiss forests more than climatic changes. In the long term, the sink capacity of forests is likely to decrease and in case of drastic climatic or management changes, the forests can even become large-scale carbon sources.
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