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Forest management in southern China generates short term extensive carbon sequestration

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaowei Tong

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Martin Brandt

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Yuemin Yue

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Philippe Ciais

    (CE Orme des Merisiers)

  • Martin Rudbeck Jepsen

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Josep Penuelas

    (Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB
    CREAF)

  • Jean-Pierre Wigneron

    (INRA Nouvelle-Aquitaine)

  • Xiangming Xiao

    (University of Oklahoma)

  • Xiao-Peng Song

    (Texas Tech University)

  • Stephanie Horion

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Kjeld Rasmussen

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Sassan Saatchi

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Lei Fan

    (INRA Nouvelle-Aquitaine)

  • Kelin Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Bing Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhengchao Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yuhang Wang

    (Beijing Normal University)

  • Xiaojun Li

    (INRA Nouvelle-Aquitaine)

  • Rasmus Fensholt

    (University of Copenhagen)

Abstract

Land use policies have turned southern China into one of the most intensively managed forest regions in the world, with actions maximizing forest cover on soils with marginal agricultural potential while concurrently increasing livelihoods and mitigating climate change. Based on satellite observations, here we show that diverse land use changes in southern China have increased standing aboveground carbon stocks by 0.11 ± 0.05 Pg C y−1 during 2002–2017. Most of this regional carbon sink was contributed by newly established forests (32%), while forests already existing contributed 24%. Forest growth in harvested forest areas contributed 16% and non-forest areas contributed 28% to the carbon sink, while timber harvest was tripled. Soil moisture declined significantly in 8% of the area. We demonstrate that land management in southern China has been removing an amount of carbon equivalent to 33% of regional fossil CO2 emissions during the last 6 years, but forest growth saturation, land competition for food production and soil-water depletion challenge the longevity of this carbon sink service.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaowei Tong & Martin Brandt & Yuemin Yue & Philippe Ciais & Martin Rudbeck Jepsen & Josep Penuelas & Jean-Pierre Wigneron & Xiangming Xiao & Xiao-Peng Song & Stephanie Horion & Kjeld Rasmussen & Sass, 2020. "Forest management in southern China generates short term extensive carbon sequestration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-13798-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13798-8
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    Cited by:

    1. Sumarmi Sumarmi & Purwanto Purwanto & Syamsul Bachri, 2021. "Spatial Analysis of Mangrove Forest Management to Reduce Air Temperature and CO 2 Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-14, July.
    2. Strokov, A. & Ternovsky, D. & Potashnikov, V. & Potapova, A., 2020. "Economical evaluation of externalities using partial equilibrium model," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 48(4), pages 113-136.
    3. Xu, Jiuping & Zhao, Chuandang & Wang, Fengjuan & Yang, Guocan, 2022. "Industrial decarbonisation oriented distributed renewable generation towards wastewater treatment sector: Case from the Yangtze River Delta region in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    4. Hoong Chen Teo & Alex Mark Lechner & Saut Sagala & Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, 2020. "Environmental Impacts of Planned Capitals and Lessons for Indonesia’s New Capital," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Furszyfer Del Rio, Dylan D. & Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Griffiths, Steve & Bazilian, Morgan & Kim, Jinsoo & Foley, Aoife M. & Rooney, David, 2022. "Decarbonizing the pulp and paper industry: A critical and systematic review of sociotechnical developments and policy options," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    6. Zhen Yu & Philippe Ciais & Shilong Piao & Richard A. Houghton & Chaoqun Lu & Hanqin Tian & Evgenios Agathokleous & Giri Raj Kattel & Stephen Sitch & Daniel Goll & Xu Yue & Anthony Walker & Pierre Frie, 2022. "Forest expansion dominates China’s land carbon sink since 1980," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    7. Wu, Si & Hu, Shougeng & Frazier, Amy E., 2021. "Spatiotemporal variation and driving factors of carbon emissions in three industrial land spaces in China from 1997 to 2016," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    8. Aziz, Ghazala & Sarwar, Suleman & Waheed, Rida & Khan, Mohd Saeed, 2023. "Significance of hydrogen energy to control the environmental gasses in light of COP26: A case of European Countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    9. Jun Ma & Jiawei Li & Wanben Wu & Jiajia Liu, 2023. "Global forest fragmentation change from 2000 to 2020," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Kai Cheng & Haitao Yang & Shengli Tao & Yanjun Su & Hongcan Guan & Yu Ren & Tianyu Hu & Wenkai Li & Guangcai Xu & Mengxi Chen & Xiancheng Lu & Zekun Yang & Yanhong Tang & Keping Ma & Jingyun Fang & Qi, 2024. "Carbon storage through China’s planted forest expansion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    11. Li, Xuezhang & Xu, Xianli & Wang, Kelin & Li, Xiaohan, 2023. "Estimation of root zone soil moisture at point scale based on soil water measurements from cosmic-ray neutron sensing in a karst catchment," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    12. Zhang, Hui & Zhang, Xin & Shang, Yi & Kattel, Giri & Miao, Lijuan, 2021. "Continuously vegetation greening over Inner Mongolia for the past three decades," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 13(13).

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