PhD-project Forests to Mitigate Climate Change by Wooden Products

Forests are known to mitigate climate change. They do so by sequestering carbon in biomass and soil. In production forests, this woody biomass can be used as an energy source, but it can also be processed into wood products. The use of biomass as an energy source will cancel out the carbon sequestration process, whereas in wood products with long carbon lifetimes, the period of carbon storage will be extended. Depending on how often and how much wood is extracted from forests, the amount of carbon varies between the compartments involved: atmosphere, forests (biomass and soil) and economy (wood products). Consequently, the amount and timing of wood harvesting and the life cycle of wood products determine whether wood harvesting and use is desirable from a climate change perspective. As a result, there is an ongoing debate as to whether there is a trade-off or synergy between the two forest ecosystem services: carbon sequestration and wood production. Trade-offs and/or synergies at different spatial scales will be identified in this study.

Forests are well known to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration in biomass and soil. In production forests, this woody biomass can serve as an energy source but can also be processed into wooden products. Using the biomass as an energy source will nullify the carbon sequestration process whereas in wooden products with a long lifespan carbon the period in which carbon is stored is extended. Depending on the frequency and amount of wood extracted from forests, the amount of carbon varies between the compartments involved; atmosphere, forests (biomass and soil), and economy (wooden products). Consequently, timber extraction, its timing, and the lifespan of wooden products determine whether extracting and applying wood is desirable from a climate mitigating point of view. Following this, there is an ongoing debate whether there is a trade-off or synergy between the two forest ecosystems services: carbon sequestration and wood production. This study aims to determine the trade-offs and/or synergies at different spatial scales.