Grantee Research Project Results
How to Harvest Trees While Maximizing Carbon Sequestration
EPA Grant Number: SU834735Title: How to Harvest Trees While Maximizing Carbon Sequestration
Investigators: Roise, Joseph
Current Investigators: Roise, Joseph , Gharis, Laurie , Heiderman, Ryan
Institution: North Carolina State University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2010 through August 14, 2011
Project Amount: $9,983
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2010) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Challenge Area - Chemical Safety , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Develop a decision analysis model for policy makers, which illustrates the economic and forest carbon sequestration effects of different forest management practices for the Southern United States.
Approach:
Environmental policy makers must have research based decision analysis models available that include carbon sequestration and forest products in order to make economically viable policies for foresters and effective carbon sequestration policies for the environment. Forests have been identified as an important mechanism for removal carbon dioxide and storage of carbon. Forest products have also been recognized as a source of carbon storage. This project will employ a management science approach to integrate forest growth and yield models, carbon sequestration models, and economic models to develop a relationship between carbon sequestration and wood products. This relationship will be displayed in a production possibilities curve, which will be utilized to develop a decision analysis model for policy makers. The decision analysis model will define the economic value and carbon tradeoff for different management practices and can be utilized to compare environmental policies and to create a construct for additional forest carbon, which could aid in the development of a market structure for carbon.
Expected Results:
The expected result of this project is a methodology to increase carbon sequestration through forest management and policy analysis. The decision analysis model will demonstrate tradeoffs between carbon storage and net present value through a joint productions possibilities curve and will aid in future policy comparison and development. If policy analysis such as the proposed were employed for international decision making, forest owners worldwide would experience economic gains while providing a social good: clean air.
Supplemental Keywords:
climate change, operations research, environmentally benign substitute, sustainable construction materials, computer models, global considerations,Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.