<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This work aims to analyze the age structure of forests in Krasnodar Krai in order to estimate their carbon sequestration potential. The research was conducted during 2015–2020 in 14 forested districts of Krasnodar Krai in the Russian Federation. A database of 96,000 sample plots was used. Aspen occupied the maximum area (20% of trees), while much smaller areas were occupied by linden, birch, pine, and oak (p≥0.05 with aspen). Spruce occupied three times smaller areas compared to aspen (p≤0.05), while maple, elm, ash, and alder had ten times smaller areas (p≤0.01). Among deciduous species by age, mature and overmature stands predominate, while in conifers a young growth prevails (44% – for pines). All pine forests belong to the 1st quality class (91%), for birch and aspen, it is 75–80% of trees (p≤0.05 with the frequency for pine), for spruce – 52% (p≤0.05), and for oak – 10% (p≤0.01). Different tree species make different contributions to carbon sequestration – from 0.3 tons per 1 ha (<italic>Alnus glutinosa</italic>) to 1.7 tons per ha (<italic>Fraxinus excelsior</italic>). Taking into account the areas occupied in the forest by different tree species, their contribution will also be different – from 0.5 thousand tons/1 year (<italic>F. excelsior</italic>) to 290 thousand tons per 1 year (<italic>Populus tremula</italic>). The total increase in wood stocks and carbon sequestration is mainly due to six forest tree species. The results obtained can be used to assess the potential for carbon sequestration in temperate forests, taking into account their different age structure and tree species composition.</p></abstract>

This work aims to analyze the age structure of forests in Krasnodar Krai in order to estimate their carbon sequestration potential. The research was conducted during 2015–2020 in 14 forested districts of Krasnodar Krai in the Russian Federation. A database of 96,000 sample plots was used. Aspen occupied the maximum area (20% of trees), while much smaller areas were occupied by linden, birch, pine, and oak (p≥0.05 with aspen). Spruce occupied three times smaller areas compared to aspen (p≤0.05), while maple, elm, ash, and alder had ten times smaller areas (p≤0.01). Among deciduous species by age, mature and overmature stands predominate, while in conifers a young growth prevails (44% – for pines). All pine forests belong to the 1st quality class (91%), for birch and aspen, it is 75–80% of trees (p≤0.05 with the frequency for pine), for spruce – 52% (p≤0.05), and for oak – 10% (p≤0.01). Different tree species make different contributions to carbon sequestration – from 0.3 tons per 1 ha (Alnus glutinosa) to 1.7 tons per ha (Fraxinus excelsior). Taking into account the areas occupied in the forest by different tree species, their contribution will also be different – from 0.5 thousand tons/1 year (F. excelsior) to 290 thousand tons per 1 year (Populus tremula). The total increase in wood stocks and carbon sequestration is mainly due to six forest tree species. The results obtained can be used to assess the potential for carbon sequestration in temperate forests, taking into account their different age structure and tree species composition.

Potential for carbon sequestration and the actual forest structure: the case of Krasnodar Krai in Russia

Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation

National Research Mordovia State University

Federal State Budgetary Educational Establishment of Higher Education “Bashkir State Agrarian University”

Central European Forestry Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This work aims to analyze the age structure of forests in Krasnodar Krai in order to estimate their carbon sequestration potential. The research was conducted...

Potential for carbon sequestration and the actual forest structure: the case of Krasnodar Krai in Russia

Published Online: Mar 08, 2022

Page range: 15 - 22

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/forj-2021-0022

Keywords
carbon sequestration, forest plantations, tree species, trunk wood volume, wood increment

© 2022 Oleg Efimov et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Potential for carbon sequestration and the actual forest structure: the case of Krasnodar Krai in Russia

Published Online: Mar 08, 2022

Page range: 15 - 22

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/forj-2021-0022

Keywordscarbon sequestration, forest plantations, tree species, trunk wood volume, wood increment

© 2022 Oleg Efimov et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
carbon sequestration, forest plantations, tree species, trunk wood volume, wood increment