Effects of forest management intensity and climate change severity on volume growth, timber yield, carbon stocks, and the amount of deadwood in Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch stands in boreal conditions

Abstract

We studied how management intensity and climate severity affect volume growth, timber yield, carbon stocks, and the amount of deadwood in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris (L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) dominated stands in the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk region of northwest Russia. Using the forest ecosystem model (SIMA) under different climates (current and representative concentration pathway scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), no-thinning, low, medium, and high intensity thinning rotational forestry regimes were simulated. Under RCPs, the volume growth and timber yield (5-53%), carbon stocks (1-22%), and deadwood amounts (11-75%) increased for all Scots pine and silver birch stands. The use of low intensity management increased volume growth and carbon stocks (3-16%) and deadwood amount (up to 60%) under RCPs, but not timber yield (±3%) in these stands. For Norway spruce stands, the volume growth (5-26%), timber yield (23-75%), and carbon stocks (5-15%) decreased under RCP8.5, but deadwood amount increased (up to 142%). Intensive management increased volume growth (4-19%), timber yield (4-63%), carbon stocks (up to 14%) and deadwood amounts (up to 49%). Our results highlight that effects of climate severity and management intensity are site and species-specific for Eurasian’s boreal forests.