Management of Birch Spruce Mixed Stands with Consideration of Carbon Stock in Biomass and Harvested Wood Products

Forests play an important role in climate change mitigation. Usage of harvested wood products (HWP) can extend the carbon cycle by retaining carbon as well as preventing new fossil emission via substitution. We compared carbon balance of different management strategies of birch spruce mixed stands over an eight-year period: unmanaged, representing a decision of prolonged rotation, and managed, representing a decision of final harvest of birch and retention of spruce for continuous forest cover and regeneration harvest. Management resulted in a higher contribution of mixed stands to climate change mitigation, if the carbon stock (CS) in biomass as well carbon balance (CB) of wood product is jointly considered in comparison to no management (prolonged rotation). Assortment structure plays an important role in CB of HWP, therefore a practice ensuring higher outcome of longer-lasting wood products are beneficial to climate change mitigation.

Automated summary

Forests play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by utilizing harvested wood products to extend the carbon cycle and prevent new fossil emission through substitution. A study compared different management strategies of birch spruce mixed stands over eight years and found that managed stands, through final harvest and retention, contributed more to climate change mitigation compared to unmanaged stands with prolonged rotation. The assortment structure of wood products also plays an important role in carbon balance, emphasizing the benefit of longer-lasting wood products in climate change mitigation.