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Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Forestry Operations

A Life Cycle Assessment

College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, P.O. Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98122

^* Corresponding author (edie.sonnehall{at}weyerhaeuser.com)

Received for publication April 29, 2005. Most forest carbon assessments focus only on biomass carbon and assume that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from forestry activities are minimal. This study took an in-depth look at the direct and indirect emissions from Pacific Northwest (PNW) Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco] forestry activities to support or deny this claim. Greenhouse gas budgets for 408 "management regimes" were calculated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. These management regimes were comprised of different combinations of three types of seedlings (P + 1, 1 + 1, and large plug), two types of site preparation (pile and burn, and chemical), 17 combinations of management intensity including fertilization, herbicide treatment, pre-commercial thinning (PCT), commercial thinning (CT), and nothing, and four different rotation ages (30, 40, 50, and 60 yr). Normalized to 50 yr, average direct GHG emissions were 8.6 megagrams (Mg) carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e) ha^–1, which accounted for 84% of total GHG emissions from the average of 408 management regimes. Harvesting (PCT, CT, and clear cutting) contributed the most to total GHG emissions (5.9 Mg CO₂e per 700 m³ harvested timber), followed by pile and burn site preparation (4.0 Mg CO₂e ha^–1 or 32% of total GHG emissions) and then fertilization (1.9 Mg CO₂e ha^–1 or 15% of total GHG emissions). Seedling production, seedling transportation, chemical site preparation, and herbicide treatment each contributed less than 1% of total GHG emissions when assessed per hectare of planted timberland. Total emissions per 100 m³ averaged 1.6 Mg CO₂e ha^–1 over all 408 management regimes. An uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulations revealed that there are significant differences between most alternative management regimes.

Abbreviations: CO₂e, carbon dioxide equivalents • CT, commercial thinning • DBH, diameter at breast height • FVS, Forest Vegetation Simulator • GHG, greenhouse gas • GPG, Good Practice Guidance • GWP, global warming potential • LCA, Life Cycle Assessment • LMS, Landscape Management System • LULUCF, land-use, land-use change, and forestry • PCT, pre-commercial thinning • PNW, Pacific Northwest • TPH, trees per hectare