Overview & Applicability
The Forest Sector Carbon Calculator is a tool that helps users understand more about the stock and flow of carbon in forest ecosystems and wood products. The tool is intended to "simulate the accumulation of carbon over succession in a landscape with mixed-species mixed-age forest stands and spatially variable climate, soil, topography, and history." In practical terms, the tool can help land managers, students, and other users compare effects of alternative management practices (including timber harvest, site preparation, fuel treatment, and artificial regeneration) and wildfire regimes on carbon stores and balances in the forest (including vegetation and soil) and in forest products (including landfills and biofuels). The tool models disturbances on annual increments and climate variability on monthly increments. Wildfire regimes have been created based on historical trends.
The FSCC lets users examine how carbon stores in the forest sector change over time, including carbon stored in vegetation, soil, and wood products.
History
The beta version of the Forest Sector Carbon Calculator was released in March, 2011. It was updated to version 2.0 in February, 2013, expanding the geographic scope of the tool to eastern Oregon and providing several other features. The tool can be customized to other forest types and geographies.
Inputs and outputs
Unlike some carbon estimation models that draw from FIA data, the Forest Sector Carbon Calculator relies on LANDCARD 3.0, a published, peer-reviewed ecosystem carbon model capable of simulating tree growth, removal, and mortality "from scratch". The model includes a climate variable, but does not explicitly incorporate the effects of climate change.
The Forest Sector Carbon Calculator accounts for a substantial number of "modules" or factors (including soil texture, seed dispersal, mortality, dieout, prescribed fire, etc.) but the basic interface and user input fields are relatively simple and straightforward. The model does not require inventory information to set up analysis, and requires only general knowledge of management history and disturbance regimes for the stand or landscape level. The tool is designed to be run on-line, and outputs include exportable figures/graphs and spreadsheets. Users can learn to run model in less than a half hour, and can master the tool within a few sessions.
Restrictions and limitations
The tool is currently parameterized for Oregon, but can be parameterized for other major forest types and regions around the globe. The Forest Sector Carbon Calculator website will soon feature a downloadable version of the model (with text-based outputs only); in the meantime, contact Mark Harmon to obtain the model (for customization). Simulation models are not a substitute for actual measurements of carbon stores in a particular stand, landscape, or wood product pool.
Accessing the tool and additional information
More information, including tutorials on using this tool, are available on its website.