The GHG offset potential of the open woodland

afforestation in the boreal forest of Eastern Canada

Jean-François Boucher1, Claude Villeneuve1, Jean-Robert Wells1, Yves Bergeron2, Sophie D'Amours3, Isabelle Côté1, Daniel Lord1

1 Université

du Québec à

Chicoutimi, Qc, Canada2 Université

du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Qc, Canada3 Université

Laval, Qc, Canada

3rd

North American Carbon Program All-investigators Meeting

New-Orleans, LAFebruary

3rd

2011

2

Canadian boreal forest•

295 Mha, approx. 30% of Canada’s total land and 22% of the world’s boreal forest

5

Regeneration “failure”

after consecutive natural disturbances

(Arseneault

and Payette 1992, Payette 1992, Gagnon et Morin 2001, Jasinsky

et Payette 2005)

Natural crown cover patchiness of Canada’s boreal forest

Natural crown cover patchiness of Canada’s boreal forest

Cyclic natural regeneration after wildfire of black spruce stands within the closed-

crown boreal forest(~100 years)

Alternative stable state or cyclic maintenance of open black spruce-lichen woodlands (OWs)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

6

Regeneration “failure”

after consecutive natural disturbances

(Arseneault

and Payette 1992, Payette 1992, Gagnon et Morin 2001, Jasinsky

et Payette 2005)

Natural crown cover patchiness of Canada’s boreal forest

Natural crown cover patchiness of Canada’s boreal forest

Cyclic natural regeneration after wildfire of black spruce stands within the closed-

crown boreal forest(~100 years)

Alternative stable state or cyclic maintenance of open black spruce-lichen woodlands (OWs)?

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

OWs= 7% or 1.6 M ha within Québec’sclosed-crown boreal forest

7

Canadian extent of OWs?Canadian extent of OWs?

Boreal

shield

Borealplains

BorealCordillera

Terrestrial Ecozone Land cover Landscape

positionDensity class Area (ha) Volume

per haBoreal Shield Vegetated - treed* Upland Sparse** 14 907 131 54.8Boreal Plains Vegetated - treed* Upland Sparse** 1 514 075 61.9Boreal Cordillera Vegetated - treed* Upland Sparse** 6 825 763 91.6

Total boreal Vegetated - treed* Upland Sparse** 23 246 969 66.1

*Vegetated - treed: Vegetated crown closure ≥ 5%, and Tree crown closure ≥ 10%**Sparse: Treed cover 10–25%

Source: Canada's National Forest Inventory 2006

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

8

Assets of afforestation in the boreal zoneAssets of afforestation in the boreal zone

•

Significant potential territories available across Canada

•

No (or very few) loss of opportunities:–

Forestry

–

Agriculture

•

Cheap and low C-intensive mitigation method

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

9

The C balance of simulated OW afforestation (Gaboury

et al. 2009)

The C balance of simulated OW afforestation (Gaboury

et al. 2009)

•

Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) approach•

CO2 FIX model

Baseline scenario (intact OW) Afforestation scenario (planted

OW)

(30 m3

ha-1

at

120 years) (Site index 6m at

25 years,

175m3

ha-1

at

70 years)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

10

The C balance of simulated OW afforestation (Gaboury

et al. 2009)

The C balance of simulated OW afforestation (Gaboury

et al. 2009)

•

End-of-project sequestration (70 years) = 77 t C ha-1

•

Net C balance: positive after 27 years → initial tree harvesting simulated

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

11

Seed production

GHGquantification…

Containerizedseedling

Transport andsite access

Scarification

Harvesting

Plantation

Operations related emissions (LCA)Operations related emissions (LCA)

<1% of net C sequestration

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

12

Boreal OW afforestation: Known issuesBoreal OW afforestation: Known issues

1.

Support capacity?–

Growth and yield (C sequestration)

–

Soil fertility

2.

C stocks permanence?–

Natural disturbances related reversal risk

–

Harvested wood products

3.

Albedo

(surface radiative

forcings)?–

Albedo

management

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

13

Support capacity projects: Site locationSupport capacity projects: Site location

•

7 experimental blocks among 3 sites in Québec’s closed-crown boreal forest

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

14

Support capacity projects: experimental designSupport capacity projects: experimental design

•

BSFM = “productive”

control

Baselinescenario(control) Planted

jack pines

Planted

black spruces

Control

Open woodland(OW)

Black-spruce

feathermoss(BSFM)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

15

Growth and yield of afforested OWsGrowth and yield of afforested OWs

BSFM –

Planted JP

OW –

Planted JP

BSFM –

Planted BS

OW –

Planted BS

•

65% less height growth in planted OWs than in planted BSFM•

120% more height growth with jack pine than with black spruce

in afforested OWs

(posters #G-163 and #G-164)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

16

Growth and yield of afforested OWsGrowth and yield of afforested OWs

•

Projected

yield: not with

black spruce!

Gaboury

et al. (2009)

Site Index used

(143 cm at

10 yrs)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

17

Al s

tock

s (t

ha-1

)Fe

sto

cks

(t ha

-1)

Mg

stoc

ks (t

ha-1

)C

a st

ocks

(t h

a-1)

OW

BSFM

•

Sustained (10 years) lower nutrient stocks in OW mineral soils

→ early growth limitation?

(poster #G-162)

Support capacity: soil fertilitySupport capacity: soil fertility

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

18

Support capacity: C stock growthSupport capacity: C stock growth

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Abovebground Roots Humus Mineral soil Dead wood Total

Carbon

 (t/ha)

Baseline scenario

Afforested scenario

p = 0,3878

p = 0,1017

p = 0,0178*

p = 0,0222*

p = 0,9442

p = 0,3124

•

10 years after afforestation = predominance of mineral soils (first B horizon)

•

No evidence of net C emissions after 10 years

(poster #G-165)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

19

Mature OWs VS mature BSFM standsMature OWs VS mature BSFM stands

Mature OWs

Mature BSFM stands(=Baseline scenario)

(≈Afforestation scenario)

Comparable stand characteristics (stand age, soil deposits, slope, aspect, drainage, etc.)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

20

Mature OWs VS mature BSFM standsMature OWs VS mature BSFM stands

80 yr-old

OWs

80 yr-old

BSFM stands(=Baseline scenario)

(≈Afforestation scenario)

15 t C ha-1

113 t C ha-1

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

21

C stock permanence: reversal riskC stock permanence: reversal risk

•

Reversal risk management =– Prevention (spatial dispersion, buffers, fuel management)– Accounting (disturbance-explicit C balance, insurance products)– Avoidance (harvested wood products + substitution)

(from

Gaboury

et al. 2009)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

22

Albedo

change related forcingAlbedo

change related forcing

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

23

Albedo

change related forcingAlbedo

change related forcing

•

Some hypotheses to test:1.Deciduous planted tree species (larch, birch, etc.)?2.“Inclusive”

baseline scenario = OWs +

C-intensive

products (concrete, steel, etc.)

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

24

Carbone boréal in the voluntary C market… a new research funding opportunity

Carbone boréal in the voluntary C market… a new research funding opportunity

carboneboreal.uqac.ca

1.

Context

2.

Simulated C balance

3.

Support capacity

4.

C stock permanence

5.

Albedo

6.

Carbone boréal

25

Merci!