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Aligning ecology and markets in the forest carbon cycle
Author(s) -
Hurteau Matthew D,
Hungate Bruce A,
Koch George W,
North Malcolm P,
Smith Gordon R
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/120039
Subject(s) - carbon offset , carbon sequestration , ecosystem services , valuation (finance) , offset (computer science) , natural resource economics , ecosystem , environmental resource management , ecology , environmental science , business , economics , climate change , computer science , finance , carbon dioxide , biology , programming language
A forest carbon (C) offset is a quantifiable unit of C that is commonly developed at the local or regional project scale and is designed to counterbalance anthropogenic C emissions by sequestering C in trees. In cap‐and‐trade programs, forest offsets have market value if the sequestered C is additional (more than would have occurred in the absence of the project) and permanent (sequestered within the project boundary for a specified period of time). Local management and ecological context determine the rate of C sequestration, risk of loss, and hence the market value. An understanding of global C dynamics can inform policy but may not be able to effectively price an ecosystem service, such as C sequestration. Appropriate pricing requires the assistance of ecologists to assess C stock abundance and stability over spatial and temporal scales appropriate for the regional market. We use the risk that sequestered C will be emitted as a result of wildfire (reversal risk) to show how ecological context can influence market valuation in offset programs.