Developing Tools for Ecological Forestry and Carbon Management in Longleaf Pine
RC-2115
Objective
Forests can offset greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) in tree biomass, understory vegetation, forest floor litter, detritus, soils, and wood products. This carbon sequestration potential can be further increased by sustainable forest management but must be balanced with other resource management objectives. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystems on Department of Defense (DoD) installations offer excellent opportunities to sequester carbon and mitigate CO2 emissions, primarily because longleaf pine is a long-lived tree species and DoD is focusing on restoration and protection of longleaf pine ecosystems for threatened and endangered species. To sustainably manage longleaf pine for multiple ecosystem services requires modeling tools and basic information at the ecosystem level on how restoration and management practices, in particular prescribed fire, impact carbon pools over time and under a range of soils and stand structures.
The objectives of this project are to (1) characterize and model the forest carbon cycle of longleaf pine ecosystems based on measurements on three DoD installations across the historical range of the species, (2) elucidate sources and sinks of carbon and changes through time in managed and natural successional pathways, (3) develop models to determine the contribution of ecologically based forest management to an installation’s carbon footprint and compare the influence of land use changes on carbon and other ecosystem services, and (4) identify silvicultural practices that improve life-cycle carbon management.
Technical Approach
Researchers will develop and link two longleaf pine forest carbon cycle models: an even-aged model that will simulate scenarios for young (0-50 years) planted longleaf pine stands managed for transition toward uneven-aged structures with silvicultural tools such as thinning and prescribed fire and a single-tree-based model, which will enable simulation of older (40 to >200 years) longleaf pine stands managed with silvicultural tools such as single tree or group selection harvests and prescribed fire. To support calibration and validation of the models, researchers will quantify carbon in aboveground and belowground biomass, shrubs, the herbaceous layer, soils, litter, and detritus in stands covering the native range of longleaf pine on three DoD installations--Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Fort Benning, Georgia; and Fort Polk, Louisiana--representing both coastal and inland physiographies, different herbaceous layer composition, and in stands with a range of management histories and management objectives.
Benefits
This project will develop a forest carbon cycle model to accurately and robustly simulate the range of management activities that occur on DoD installations across the longleaf pine range. The model can be used to evaluate ecological forest management techniques in southeastern U.S. longleaf pine forests and in systems where restoration of longleaf pine ecosystems is the goal. This project will also provide an initial guide for resource managers by preparing a suite of simulations that demonstrate how land use practices and silvicultural prescriptions, including prescribed burning, influence the life-cycle carbon balance of longleaf pine ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustained ecological yield of forest products over short, intermediate, and long-term horizons. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2016)
Symposium & Workshop
FY 2013 New Start Project Selections
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator
Dr. Lisa Samuelson
Auburn University
Phone: 334-844-1040
Program Manager
Resource Conservation and Climate Change
SERDP and ESTCP
Document Types
- Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
- Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
- Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
- Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
- Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
- Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
- Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
- Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
- Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.