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Bibliographic Metadata :  Fuel treatment effects on tree-based forest carbon storage and emissions under modeled wildfire scen

Title : Fuel treatment effects on tree-based forest carbon storage and emissions under modeled wildfire scenarios
Secondary Title :
Authors : Hurteau, M.; North M.
Place Published : Washington, DC
Publish Date :
Year : 2009
Publisher: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Source : The Ecological Society of America
ISSN/ISBN : 1540-9295
Issue :
Keywords : forest carbon storage; emissions; wildfire; modelling; climate; 2009-symposium
Text :
Pages :
Abstract : Forests are viewed as a potential sink for carbon (C) that might otherwise contribute to climate change. It is unclear, however, how to manage forests with frequent fire regimes to maximize C storage while reducing C emissions from prescribed burns or wildfire. We modeled the effects of eight different fuel treatments on tree-based C storage and release over a century, with and without wildfire. Model runs show that, after a century of growth without wildfire, the control stored the most C. However, when wildfire was included in the model, the control had the largest total C emission and largest reduction in live-tree-based C stocks. In model runs including wildfire, the final amount of tree-based C sequestered was most affected by the stand structure initially produced by the different fuel treatments. In wildfire-prone forests, tree-based C stocks were best protected by fuel treatments that produced a low-density stand structure dominated by large, fireresistant pines.
Notes : Article can also be found at the following web address: http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/080049
Reference Type Journal Article