Overlooked branch turnover creates a widespread bias in forest carbon accounting
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- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-901 83, Sweden, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg A-2361, Austria, Department of Botany, University of Tartu, Tartu EE-50409, Estonia
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
- Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14261
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Division of Environmental Sciences &, Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-901 83, Sweden, Slovak Environment Agency, Banská Bystrica 975 90, Slovakia
- Department of Forest Sciences, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG 37200, Brazil, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur 44618, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-901 83, Sweden, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg A-2361, Austria
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-901 83, Sweden
- Stand Management Cooperative, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu EE-51006, Estonia
- Southern Research Station, United States Forest Service, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland, Division of Environmental Sciences &, Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
- Department of Botany, University of Tartu, Tartu EE-50409, Estonia
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, United States Forest Service, Olympia, WA 98512
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland, Division of Environmental Sciences &, Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, Department of Civil &, Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
Most measurements and models of forest carbon cycling neglect the carbon flux associated with the turnover of branch biomass, a physiological process quantified for other organs (fine roots, leaves, and stems). Synthesizing data from boreal, temperate, and tropical forests (184,815 trees), we found that including branch turnover increased empirical estimates of aboveground wood production by 16% (equivalent to 1.9 Pg Cy −1 globally), of similar magnitude to the observed global forest carbon sinks. In addition, reallocating carbon to branch turnover in model simulations reduced stem wood biomass, a long-lasting carbon storage, by 7 to 17%. This prevailing neglect of branch turnover suggests widespread biases in carbon flux estimates across global datasets and model simulations. Branch litterfall, sometimes used as a proxy for branch turnover, ignores carbon lost from attached dead branches, underestimating branch C turnover by 38% in a pine forest. Modifications to field measurement protocols and existing models are needed to allow a more realistic partitioning of wood production and forest carbon storage.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 2462833
- Journal Information:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Issue: 42 Vol. 121; ISSN 0027-8424
- Publisher:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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