Open AccessCarbon dioxide sequestration by Polish forest ecosystems
Author(s) -
Kazimierz Gaj
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
leśne prace badawcze
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2082-8926
pISSN - 1732-9442
DOI - 10.2478/v10111-012-0002-8
Subject(s) - carbon sequestration , carbon dioxide , ecosystem , environmental science , forest ecology , bio energy with carbon capture and storage , natural resource economics , earth science , environmental protection , geology , ecology , biology , economics
This paper presents a method for estimating the balance of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and absorption by Polish forest ecosystems. Based on the existing literature, a method for estimating the net absorption of CO2 and a synthetic index to assess this amount per hectare per year was developed. The calculation was derived using two alternative methodologies. The first is based on estimating the amount of CO2 sequestered over a trees’ life, and the second based on estimating the age-dependent biomass growth of trees. Obtained results indicate that total CO2 sequestration by Polish forest ecosystems is the equivalent of approximately 25% of Polish anthropogenic carbon emissions and suggest that previous calculations may have been underestimated.Przemysław Szmi