Impacts of forest landscape structure and management on timber production and carbon stocks in the boreal forest ecosystem under changing climate

A process-based model was used to assess the sensitivity of timber production and carbon (C) sequestration to the structure (in terms of age class distribution) of a boreal forest landscape and to the management under changing climatic conditions. Moreover, an approach to calculate the cost of C sequestration, through C sink enhancement, was used by computing the potential loss in the net present value (NPV) of timber when management with maximum C stock is chosen. Regardless of the climate scenario and initial age class distribution used, management had a clear effect on the mean C stock in the forest ecosystem. Any management regime allowing a higher tree stocking than business-as-usual management increased the timber production and simultaneously maintained or increased the C stock in the forest ecosystem. On the other hand, the maximum C stock in the forest and the lowest NPV were observed when no thinning was applied before the final cut. The changing climate increased forest productivity and also C stock. When using the same management for the entire management unit, the initial age class distribution had a large influence on the results of timber production (up to 20% difference) but not on C stock in the forest ecosystem (3%). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.