INVESTIGADORES
DEFOSSE Guillermo Emilio
artículos
Título:
Potential CO2 emissions mitigation through forest prescribed burning: a case study in Patagonia, Argentina.
Autor/es:
DEFOSSÉ, G. E., G. A. LOGUERCIO, F. J. ODDI, J. C. MOLINA, AND P. D. KRAUS
Revista:
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Editorial:
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
Referencias:
Año: 2010
ISSN:
0378-1127
Resumen:
Abstract
Wildland
fire is a natural force that has shaped most vegetation types of the world.
However, its inappropriate management during the last century has led to more
frequent and catastrophic fires. Wildland fires are also recognized as one of
the sources of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) that influence
global climate change. As one of the techniques used to reduce the risk of
destructive wildfires, prescribed burning has the potential of mitigating
carbon emissions, and effectively contributes to the efforts proposed as part
of the Clean Development Mechanism within the Kyoto protocol. In order to apply this
concept to a real case, a simulation study was conducted in pine afforestation
in the Andean region of Patagonia,
Argentina, with
the objective of evaluating the potential of prescribed burning for reducing
GHG emissions. The scenario was established for a ten year period, in which
simulated prescribed burning was compared to the traditional management scheme,
which included the probability of annual average of wildfire occurrence based
on available wildfire statistics. The two contrasting scenarios were: (1)
managed afforestation, affected by the annual average rate of wildfires
occurred in the same type of afforestation in the region, without prescribed
burning, and (2) same as (1) but with the application of simulated prescribed
burning. In order to estimate carbon stocks, and CO2 removals and
emissions, we followed the guidelines given for GHG inventories on the
Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) sector of the International
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), while the terminology used was the established
by IPCC (2003). Data of afforested area,
thinnings, and biomass growth were taken from previous surveys in the study
area. Downed dead wood and litter (forest fuel load, FFL) was estimated
adjusting equations fitted to those fuels, based on field data. Results show
that comparing the two scenarios, prescribed burning reduced CO2
emissions by 44% compared to the situation without prescribed burning. The
prescribed burning scenario represented about 12% of the total emissions
(prescribed burning plus wildfires). Furthermore, avoided wildfires by
simulated prescribed burning allowed an additional 78% GHG emissions mitigation
due to extra biomass growth. Simulated prescribed burning in commercial
afforestation of Patagonia appears to be an
effective management practice not only to prevent wildfires, but also an
efficient tool to mitigate GHG emissions. However, more studies in different
scenarios would be needed to generalize these benefits to other ecosystems.