The GHG offset potential of the open woodland afforestation in the boreal forest of Eastern Canada Jean-François Boucher 1, Claude Villeneuve 1, Jean-Robert.

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 ofCanada’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)



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

Boreal plains

Boreal Cordillera

Terrestrial Ecozone

Land coverLandscape

positionDensity

classArea (ha)

Volume per ha

Boreal 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)


• 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

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• 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

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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

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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

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Support capacity projects: experimental designSupport capacity projects: experimental design

• BSFM = “productive” control

Baselinescenario(control)

Plantedjack pines

Plantedblack spruces

Control

Open woodland(OW)

Black-sprucefeathermoss

(BSFM)

1. Context

2. Simulated C

balance

3. Support

capacity

4. C stock

permanence

5. Albedo

6. Carbone

boréal

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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

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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

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Al s

tock

s (t

ha-1

)F

e st

ocks

(t h

a-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

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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

Carb

on (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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Merci!

The GHG offset potential of the open woodland afforestation in the boreal forest of Eastern Canada Jean-François Boucher 1, Claude Villeneuve 1, Jean-Robert.

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