CARBIFOR II

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CARBIFOR II

Carbon sequestration by Irish forest ecosystems

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PROJECT TEAM
Prof. Maarten Nieuwenhuis, University College Dublin*
Dr Brian Tobin, University College Dublin
Paul Gardiner, University College Dublin
Samuel Olajuyigbe, University College Dublin
Prof. Bruce Osborne, University College Dublin
Dr Matt Saunders, University College Dublin
Guiseppe Benanti, University College Dublin
Prof. Thomas Bolger, University College Dublin
Dr Brian Reidy, University College Dublin

* Email: maarten.nieuwenhuis@ucd.ie

COMPLETION DATE: June 2012

BACKGROUND
The overall objective of CARBiFOR II is to provide information for quantifying the influence of disturbance, land use change, soil type and forest age on carbon budgets that are relevant to the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) reporting requirements under the Kyoto Protocol of the Climate Change Convention. CARBiFOR II builds directly on the achievements of CARBiFOR, by extending the time span of flux measurements to include an analysis of stand age, as well as the influence of disturbance caused by afforestation and thinning operations. The project will also attempt to characterize changes in biomass, decomposition, CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) flux associated with different soils and tree species, providing a more comprehensive assessment of the total greenhouse gas budget of Irish forest ecosystems. The project intends to study three complete chronosequences (a series of sites representing the development of forest plantations):
Chronosequence 1: Sitka spruce growing on a mineral soil;
Chronosequence 2: Sitka spruce growing on a peat soil;
Chronosequence 3: Ash growing on a mineral soil.

OBJECTIVES

Biomass allocation and stock measurements.
Above- and below-ground coarse wood decomposition study.
Using ground penetrating radar to estimate below-ground biomass.
Measuring the surface exchange of CO2, H2O and turbulent energy over several forest age classes using permanent and mobile Eddy Covariance towers.
Estimation of C losses associated with thinning, associated vegetation and land use change.
Measurement of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use change and forest stand age.
Assessment of net GHG budget associated with afforestation.
Project chronosequence soil characterisation and C stocks.
Soil sampling of NFI plots and chronosequence sites.
C inputs and parameters for Century model.

PROGRESS
Enough data have been collected to construct small tree biomass equations covering ash, alder, larch and Sitka spruce. These will be used to estimate biomass in younger forest stands where the dbh is not measurable. The height range varies from 30 cm to 11 m. These young forests often fall outside the range of biomass equations/yield models.
Stock estimates derived from biomass surveys of the Sitka chronosequence were used to examine age-related changes in forest increment. Productivity was greatest between years 16 to 18 when stand canopy competition was greatest. Annual litterfall amounts (needles and twigs) varied across the Sitka chronosequence from 0.31 (6-year old), to 2.1 (14-years), to 1.33 t C ha-1 (21 years). The larger amount corresponds to the period of forest development where the forest stocking is still high (two thinnings have substantially reduced the stocking of the 21-year old forest) and the growth of the tree crowns has begun to be limited by competition.
Brash, buried root bags and the trenched root experiments continue to be sampled every six months. Following mass loss and density measurements, samples have been homogenised and ground for CHN analysis, which has just begun. First results show an expected correlation between the C:N ratio and density of decay class samples. As decay progressed, both the C:N ratio and density decrease. Surveys of coarse woody debris stocks (CWD) show an abundance of abandoned logs following thinning at the 35 year old stand. This may be atypically high due to difficulties in harvesting because of a steep slope at this site.
Eddy covariance measurements have shown that the carbon sink strength of Sitka spruce forest plantations increases with age after afforestation of semi-natural grassland to a 21-year old forest stand. Thinning has been shown to have both neutral and negative impacts on carbon assimilation. The Dooary forest was thinned in 2007 (line and selection) and 2008 (selection). The results show an increase in Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) of the stand after the first thin due to a small reduction in gross primary productivity (GPP), coupled with a significant decrease in ecosystem respiration (Reco). The results of the second thinning show a decrease in NEP due to a reduction in both GPP and Reco.
Soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux has been measured at the grassland, 6-year and 21-year chronosequence sites. The results show that CO2 efflux decreases with forest stand age although these results are not significant (p>0.05). Precipitation exclusion shelters have been constructed at each site to investigate the impact of changing soil water conditions on soil CO2 efflux.
Trace gas data collected at the Dooary forest chronosequence suggest the conversion of grassland to forest increases the emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere, while methane (CH4) emissions tend to decrease. These results are largely due to changes in hydrology, the waterlogged conditions at the grassland site lead to anoxic soil conditions enhancing the production of methane. The lower water content at the afforested sites resulted in a decrease in CH4 emissions but an increase in N2O emissions.
The sampling of mineral and peaty mineral soils has been completed. These were prioritised over peat soils using a detailed sampling protocol, which was agreed with the ForesSoilC project in December 2008. Peat sampling equipment was shared with ForestSoilC. There are currently three peat sites remaining to be sampled. If these sites are not suitable, backup sites will be selected from a reserve list. The first chronosequence was sampled.
Three quarters of the sampled sites have been processed for Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). Bulk Density (BD) has been measured and calculated for over half the sites. Analysis of SOC has begun using CHN analysis. Once the SOC and BD work finishes texture analysis will begin.
Commencement of modelling will take place shortly as SOC data becomes available. The primary modelling exercise will be carried out using Century, and Yasso will also be investigated.

ACTIVITIES PLANNED
Biomass sampling of pine, larch and ash will continue in 2010.
Surveys will be made of new chronosequence sites to establish biomass and CWD stocks.
Above-ground CWD decomposition experiment sampling (brash bags).
Below-ground decomposition measurements (includes decomposition bag and stump excavation).
Continue litter collection, tree ring analysis from disk samples, ground-vegetation sampling and decaying log respiration measurements.
The mobile eddy covariance tower will rove chronosequence 3 sites during 2010.
Continuous soil respiration and canopy profile CO2 measurements at the Dooary forest will continue.
Decomposition, litterfall and fine root turnover experiments will be continued.
Measurements of N2O and CH4 and soil respiration will be undertaken at chronosequence three sites in 2010.
Continue NFI paired plot sampling and processing.
Commence analysis of samples.

OUTPUTS
Meetings/conference attendance
COST Action FP0803. 2009. Belowground carbon turnover in European forests. Kick-off meeting to start the Action, Brussels, 25 May 2009.
ECHOES COST Action FP0703. 2009. Expected Climate Change and Options for European Silviculture. 2-3 November 2009, Thessaloniki, Greece.
ANAEE (Analysis and Experimentation on Ecosystems). 2009. Final Meeting, 24-26 November 2009, Exeter, UK.
Saunders, M., Tobin, B., and Osborne, B. 2009. Assessing the impact of forest age on net ecosystem carbon exchange. Irish Plant Scientists Meeting 20-21 March 2009, Trinity College Dublin.
Tene, A., Tobin, B., Ray, D., Black, K. and Nieuwenhuis, M. 2009. Adaptability of forest species to climate change. Paper presented to the Annual conference of the Association for tree-ring research, Octocec, Slovenia, 16-19 April 2009. Submitted as an article in ITF (Vol. 18, No. 2, 2009).
Wellock, M., LaPerle, C., Kiely, G., Reidy, B. and Bolger, T. 2009. The Carbon Stocks of Peatlands under Forestry in the Republic of Ireland. [Poster Presentation.] European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2009, Vienna , 19-24 April 2009.
Tene, A., Tobin, B., Ray, D., Black, K. and Nieuwenhuis, M. 2009. Assessment of tree response to severe climatic occurrences. Annual European Dendrochronology Meeting. [Poster presentation.] Majorca, 26-30 October 2009.
Albanito, F., Saunders, M. and Jones, M.B. (2009) The Irish contribution to an infrastructure for measurements of the European carbon cycle (IMECC). [Poster presentation.] AGMET meeting, Dublin, 7th December 2009.
Benanti, G., Cacciotti, E., Helmy, M., Saunders, M. and Osborne, B. 2009. Impact of land use change on greenhouse gas emissions. [Poster presentation.] AGMET meeting, Dublin, 7 December 2009.
Osborne, B. 2009. Use and performance of cover crops for increasing carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation in arable ecosystems. AGMET meeting, Dublin, 7 December 2009.
Tene,A., Tobin, B., Dyckmans, J.,Ray, D.,Black, K. and Nieuwenhuis, M. 2009. The growth response of Sitka spruce forest stands to sever drought events. [Poster presentation.] AGMET meeting, Dublin, 7 December 2009.
Tobin, B., Gardiner, P., Olajuyigbe, S., Saunders, M. and Nieuwenhuis, M. 2009. Forest carbon stocks and the effect of thinning. [Poster presentation.] UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine Research Day, 8 December 2009.

Publications
Luyssaert, S., Reichstein, M., Schulze, E-D., Janssens, I., Law, B., Papale, D., Dragoni, D., Goulden, M., Granier, A., Kutsch, W., Linder, S., Matteucci, G., V, M., Munger, J., Pilegaard, K., Saunders, M. and Falge, E. 2009. Towards a consistency cross-check of eddy covariance flux based and biometric estimates of ecosystem carbon balance. Global Biogoechemical Cycles doi:10.1029/2008GB003377.

Field study
The Dooary chronosequence sites were used to host a silviculture field day for the UCD third year forestry class in October 2009.

Project networking
Dooary site, together with some additional work tasks, now included in a new EU funded project GHG Europe, starting January 2010.
Forest research work included in ANAEE (analysis and experimentation on ecosystems, an EU project with preliminary funding).
Discussions are also continuing in relation to participation in ICOS (International Carbon Observation System), its Irish equivalent IGOS-I, and LifeWatch (long-term monitoring of ecosystems).
Dooary site now included in the EU FutMon project (long-term monitoring of forest ecosystems) as a Level 1 site.

2008 report

download 2008 report as pdf (pdf 149Kb)

PROJECT TEAM
Prof. Maarten Nieuwenhuis, University College Dublin*
Dr Brian Tobin, University College Dublin
Paul Gardiner, University College Dublin
Samuel Olajuyigbe, University College Dublin
Prof. Bruce Osborne, University College Dublin
Dr Matt Saunders, University College Dublin
Guiseppe Benanti, University College Dublin
Prof. Thomas Bolger, University College Dublin
Dr Brian Reidy, University College Dublin
Catriona Duffy, University College Dublin

* Email: maarten.nieuwenhuis@ucd.ie

COMPLETION DATE: April 2012

BACKGROUND
The overall objective of CARBiFOR II is to provide information for quantifying the influence of disturbance, land use change, soil type and forest age on carbon budgets that are relevant to the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) reporting requirements under the Kyoto Protocol of the Climate Change Convention. The CARBiFOR II project builds directly on the achievements of CARBiFOR, by extending the time span of flux measurements to include an analysis of stand age, as well as the influence of disturbance caused by afforestation and thinning operations. The project will also attempt to characterise changes in biomass, decomposition, CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) flux associated with different soils and tree species, providing a more comprehensive assessment of the total greenhouse gas budget of Irish forest ecosystems. The project intends to study four chronosequences (a series of sites representing the development of forest plantations):
Chronosequence 1: Sitka spruce growing in a mineral soil;
Chronosequence 2: Sitka spruce growing in a peat soil;
Chronosequence 3: Ash growing in a mineral soil;
Chronosequence 4: Oak growing in a mineral soil.

OBJECTIVES
Biomass allocation and stock measurements;
Above- and below-ground coarse-wood decomposition study;
Using ground penetrating radar to estimate below-ground biomass.
Measuring the surface exchange of CO2, H2O and turbulent energy over several forest age classes using permanent and mobile eddy covariance towers;
Estimation of C losses associated with thinning, associated vegetation and land use change;
Measurement of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use change and forest stand age;
Assessment of C stock changes associated with afforestation;
Project chronosequence soil characterisation and C stocks;
Soil sampling of national forest inventory plots and chronosequence sites;
C inputs and parameters for CENW model.

PROGRESS
Sampling has begun and has included both nursery and forest stock assessments. Nursery stock is being sampled to create a baseline or starting point for estimating growth curves and biomass expansion factors (BEFs). The nursery species sampled include alder, ash, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, oak, Scots pine and Sitka spruce. Alder and larch have also been sampled from 6-year-old forest sites.
To examine the effect of thinning, a final survey at the end of the 2008 growing season will complete a series of surveys covering growth over four years and two thinning events (first and second).
A series of replicated trenched experiments have been set up at the main eddy covariance (EC) site at Dooary to examine below-ground decomposition of coarse roots. The results of the first sampling are being analysed. Sampling of coarse wood debris (CWD) has also begun. Respiration measurements from brash have begun and will encompass a period before and after the second thinning at Dooary.
EC measurements are being made over a range of forest age classes, and a semi-natural grassland (prior to afforestation), through to a 20-year-old stand. The permanent tower is located at a 20-year-old stand and has been operational since 2003; this site has also undergone two thinning events. A mobile EC tower is being used to investigate both the impact of land use change and forest age on carbon fluxes. The mobile tower moves on a weekly basis between a semi-natural grassland, and a 6- and 14-year-old Sitka spruce stand.
In association with the EC flux towers, measurements of soil respiration and non-CO2 greenhouse gas fluxes (methane and nitrous oxide) are being made using static chambers at the chronosequence sites.
Litter inputs, litter decomposition and fine root turnover are being measured.
The definitive selection of sites will be ongoing as it requires site visits to ensure the availability of appropriate paired plots. Where sites have not been appropriate, backup sites were selected from a reserve list. Initially the sampling of mineral and peaty mineral soils was prioritised over peat soils until a detailed sampling protocol was agreed with University College Cork in December (2008). Peat sampling equipment has been purchased in conjunction with University College Cork with a view to sharing this equipment for analyses in the coming months.

ACTIVITIES PLANNED
Complete identification of chronosequences 2-4;
Sampling of above- and below-ground CWD decomposition;
Resurvey of the thinning experiment (following the second thinning);
Continue litter collection, biomass surveys and sampling, and brash respiration measurements;
Continue roving the mobile EC tower between all chronosequence 1 sites at Dooary forest;
Continuous soil respiration and canopy profile CO2 measurements;
Decomposition, litterfall and fine root turnover experiments will be continued;
Continue measurements of N2O and CH4;
Continuation of NFI paired plot sampling and processing;
Commencement of analysis of samples.

OUTPUTS
Meetings/conference attendance:
Olajuyigbe, S., Gardiner, P., Tobin, B. and Nieuwenhuis, M. 2008. Stump survival in commercial plantations in Ireland. Poster presented at COST Action E38, Woody roots and Ecosystem services, 16 to 20 May 2008, Lisbon, Portugal.
COFORD Conference on Proceedings of Site Classification in Ireland, June 2008, Tullamore: Participation in the presentation on CLIMADAPT.
Tene, A., Tobin, B., Black, K., Ray, D., and Nieuwenhuis, M. 2008. Adaptation of forest species to climate change. Poster presented at Dendro-ecology fieldweek, Birmensdorf Switzerland, 14 to 20 September 2008.
IMECC Annual Meeting, 3-5 March 2008, Jena, Germany.
Irish Plant Scientists Meeting, 26-28 March 2008, NUI Maynooth. Oral presentation.
COST Action 639, Greenhouse gas budget of soils under changing climate and land use (BurnOut), 27-29 April 2008, Rostock, Germany. Poster Presentation.
EPSO (European Plant Science Organisation) meeting, 22 ¿ 26 June 2008, Toulon, France. Invited speaker.
Trends in Plant Ecophysiology and Ecosystem Ecology Research conference, 23 ¿ 27 June 2008, Palermo, Italy. Poster Presentation.
CarboEurope-IP Trace gas chamber calibration workshop, 21- 28 September 2008, University of Helsinki, Forestry Research Station, Hyttiala, Finland.
6th Annual CarboEurope-IP Project Meeting, 29 September ¿ 3 October 2008, Jena, Germany. Oral and poster presentation.
1st Expert Meeting on Data for the IPCC Database on Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors. 17-19 November 2008, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tene, A., Tobin, B., Black, K., Ray, D. and Nieuwenhuis, M. 2008. Adaptation of forest species to climate change. Poster presentation at the Nancy 2008 International Scientific Conference. The European Forest-Based Sector: Bio-Responses to Address New Climate and Energy Challenges? 6-8 November 2008, Nancy, France.