ghg-inventory-1990-2013

carbon pools used in Climate Change Convention and Kyoto Protocol reporting for the
whole time series for the LULUCF sector.
Table 6.4.10 Recalculations of New Zealand’s estimates for the forest land category in 1990 and 2012
Net emissions
(kt CO 2 -e) 2014 submission 2015 submission
Change from the
2014 submission % change
1990 –39,135.7 –28,256.8 10,878.9 –27.8
2012 –33,147.4 –25,644.7 7,502.7 –22.6
Area (hectares)
1990 9,441,618 9,430,246 –11,371 –0.1
2012 9,952,380 9,935,792 –16,588 –0.2
Note:
Areas are as at the end of the year indicated. The 2014 submission figures have been
updated with the revised global warming potentials from the Contribution of Working Group
I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC (IPCC, 2007) so vary slightly from those
published in the 2014 submission. These values also exclude emissions from liming at
both dates.
For Forest land, the reasons for the recalculation differences are explained below.
Methods
There has been a change to the pre-1990 planted forest age-class distribution to more
accurately reflect the latest available activity data on the forest class. Previously, an older
age-class distribution was grown forward, with annual harvesting data, but this was found
to depart from the latest available data over time.
Activity data
Deforestation
The area estimates of deforestation within Forest land subcategories have been updated
from the previous submission. These areas and the associated emissions are reported in
the ‘land converted to’ category.
Emission factors
Pre-1990 natural forest carbon stock and stock change
Carbon stock and stock change estimates for pre-1990 natural forest have been updated in
this submission. The first re-measurement of the pre-1990 natural forest plot network was
completed in 2014. Data analyses have subsequently been revised to include the full data
set for the first time. In addition, improvements in analysis methodology applied have
also impacted the estimates in relation to last year’s submission. Details of this analysis
are provided in Holdaway et al (2014b).
Post-1989 and pre-1990 planted forest carbon stock change
The post-1989 and pre-1990 planted forest yield tables have been updated for the 2015
submission. The updates include reclassification of a small number of plots due to
mapping improvements, amendments to align with a revised estimate of net stocked area
in both forest classes and the inclusion of a sub-set of previously unused plots in post-
1989 planted forest.
6.4.6 Category-specific planned improvements
New Zealand will continue to measure the natural forest plot network on a 10-year cycle,
and analyse the data collected as this becomes available.
New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990–2013 255