Biodiversity, carbon storage and dynamics of old northern ... - BPAN.fi

Content
Preface........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 9
1. Background and objectives ...................................................................................................... 15
1.1 Background and knowledge gaps ............................................................................. 15
1.2 Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 18
2. Approach and methods .............................................................................................................. 21
3. Nordic forests ................................................................................................................................ 27
3.1 Natural dynamics of Nordic forests ......................................................................... 27
3.2 Past and present human impacts on Nordic forests .......................................... 33
3.3 Ecological factors and variation in forest types................................................... 39
4. Main determinants of forest biodiversity ........................................................................... 45
4.1 Intact forest ecosystems and critical properties for biodiversity ................. 46
4.2 Forest types or habitats of particular conservation value ............................... 50
5. Forest carbon pools and fluxes ............................................................................................... 57
5.1 Definitions of ecosystem carbon accumulation ................................................... 57
5.2 Methods for studying forest carbon accumulation ............................................ 58
5.3 Driving factors of forest biomass growth .............................................................. 61
5.4 Driving factors of soil organic matter pools.......................................................... 64
5.5 The role of northern forests in the global carbon cycle .................................... 68
5.6 Effects of forest management on forest carbon sequestration ...................... 71
5.7 Old forests – carbon sources or carbon sinks?..................................................... 76
6. Old forest conservation: relevance for biodiversity and climate change
mitigation........................................................................................................................................ 91
6.1 Forest carbon stocks and sequestration ................................................................ 91
6.2 Forest biodiversity and the carbon cycle ............................................................... 96
6.3 Albedo and other biophysical climate impacts of forest management .......... 98
6.4 Gaps in knowledge ....................................................................................................... 100
6.5 Implications for forest policy and management................................................ 102
References ........................................................................................................................................... 105
7. Sammendrag ................................................................................................................................ 119
8. Yhteenveto ................................................................................................................................... 125
9. Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 129
9.1 Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................................... 129
9.2 Tree species and their scientific names ................................................................ 129
Biodiversity, carbon storage and dynamics old northern forests 5