Forest carbon management strategies influence storage compartmentalization in Nothofagus antarctica forest landscapes

ARAVENA ACUÑA, MARIE-CLAIRE; CHAVES, JIMENA E.; RODRÍGUEZ-SOUILLA, JULIÁN; CELLINI, JUAN M.; PEÑA-ROJAS, KAREN A.; LENCINAS, MARÍA V.; PERI, PABLO L.; MARTÍNEZ PASTUR, GUILLERMO J.

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH

NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS

Año: 2023 vol. 53 p. 746 - 760

0045-5067

Silvopastoral systems are one of the strategies proposed to manage natural forests in southern Patagonia for livestock andtimber purposes. In the context of climate change, it is necessary to design new management proposals to improve forest carbonsequestration. The objective was to quantify the innate carbon stocking (t C ha−1) variation in Nothofagus antarctica forestsunder natural dynamics in even- and uneven-aged structures, and in harvested and transformed stands. Carbon stocks weresampled in 145 forest stands, identifying 14 different components in above- and belowground strata. Results showed that thecarbon content of the stands varied significantly with age (e.g., C contribution of different tree components), ranging from 289to 386 t C ha−1. Deadwood was the variable that variedmost among the successional stages. In harvested stands, carbon contentchanged significantly with increasing harvesting intensity (from 84.6% to 55.7%) and was lower than in non-harvested stands.These changes were reflected in reduced carbon accumulation in trees, deadwood, and soil layer and increased accumulationin understory plants. Silvopastoral systemmanagement can achieve a balance between productive objectives andmaintenanceof carbon stocks in managed forests, resulting in higher resilience and lower carbon losses, thus promoting sustainable forestmanagement.