Denmark's National Inventory Report 2005 - Submitted under the ...

7 The Specific methodologies regarding Land Use, Land
Use Change and Forestry (CRF Sector 5)
7.1 Overview
Since the submission to UNFCCC in April 2004 Land Use and Land Use changes has been included
in the inventory. The methodology is described in Gyldenkærne et al. (2005). Previously
only forestry was included in this sector. The LULUCF sector differs form the other sectors in that
it contains both sources and sinks of carbon dioxide. LULUCF are reported in the new CRF format.
Removals are according to the guidelines in the new reporting format given as negative signatures
and sinks are reported with positive signatures. This is opposite to the usually way of reporting as
given in the remaining report. Emissions from LULUCF were estimated to be a sink of approximately
1,200 Gg CO 2 or 2% of the total reported Danish emission.
Approximately 2/3 of the total Danish land area is cultivated. Together with high numbers of cattle
and pigs there is a high (environmental) pressure on the landscape. To reduce the impact an
active policy has been adopted to protect the environment. The adopted policy is aiming at a doubling
of the forest area within the next 80-100 years, re-establishing of former wetlands and establishing
of protected national parks. In Denmark all natural habitats and forests are protected and
therefore, in the inventory, no conversions from forest or wetlands into cropland or grassland are
made, because in reality this is not occurring.
A thorough GIS analysis of Land Use and Land Use Change has been made for the agricultural
sector. The method is described in more detail in 7.3 Cropland. A full matrix of the total land area
still needs to be carried out.
The data are reported in the new CRF format under IPCC categories 5A (Forestry), 5B (Cropland),
5C (Grassland) and 5D (Wetlands). The IPCC categories 5E (Settlements) and 5F (Other) are not
reported as these changes are considered to be negligible or not occurring in Denmark.
Fertilisation of forests and other land is very negligible and therefore reported as a total for all fertiliser
consumption under the agricultural sector. Drainage of forest soils is not reported. Liming is
included in the LULUCF sector. All liming are reported under Cropland because only very limited
amounts are used in forestry and on permanent grassland. At the moment there is no reporting on
removals or sinks from mineral soils. Field burning of biomass is prohibited in Denmark and
therefore reported as NO. Biomass burned in power plants is reported in the energy sector.
In Table 7.1 is given an overview of the emission from the LULUCF sector in Denmark measured
in Gg CO 2 -eqv. Forests are sinks in Denmark of approximately 3,500 Gg CO 2 -eqv y -1 and Cropland
is estimated to have a net emission of 2,4 Gg CO 2 . Only organic soils are reported at the moment
and the emission is therefore related to cultivation of organic soils. From 1990 and onwards a decrease
in the emission from Cropland is estimated due to a reduced agricultural area, an increase
in hedgerows and a reduced consumption of lime. Wetlands have gone from a net emitter to a sink
due to the establishment of wetlands.
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