Harvard Forest Research

Assessment of Potential Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in the Tropics

Principal Investigator: David Foster
Harvard Forest: Sep 01 2008 - Aug 26 2009:

Abstract:
The issue of reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Developing Countries (REDD) have been a focal topic of the climate change negotiations at Bali in 2007. However, only a handful of studies exit so far on this important issue that are suitable to inform the debate with estimates of carbon balances as a result of REDD. Additionally, although forest plantations are potentially capable of supplying wood and sequestering carbon, many recent studies on carbon emissions due to tropical deforestation have ignored them in tropical carbon cycling estimates. While the area of tropical natural forests continues to decrease, part of the deforested land has been replaced by forest plantations whose growth rates greatly exceed those of natural forests. This research attempts to analyze the potential REDD and carbon sequestration in tropical forest plantations during the post-Kyoto agreement period which is assumed between 2013 and 2020. The project involves developing land use change, forest harvesting, and carbon cycling models that will be used to estimate carbon stock changes in tropical natural forests and forest plantations, carbon fluxes in harvested wood products and associated wood residues, and the potential REDD. Policy recommendation for including REDD in climate change mitigation options under the future climate change agreement is expected to achieve.: