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CARBON BALANCE OF FOREST BIOMES IN THE FORMER USSR
Citation:
Kolchugina, T., A. Schwiedenko, T. Vinson, R. Dixon, K. Kobak, AND M. Botch. CARBON BALANCE OF FOREST BIOMES IN THE FORMER USSR. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-93/016.
Description:
Sources and sinks of carbon and the sequestration potential of forest biomes in the former Soviet Union (FSU) were assessed under non-equilibrium conditions by considering, 1) net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of different age forest stands and actual forest coverage, 2) carbon flux related to forest fires, 3) the rate of peat accumulation, and 4) anthropogenic influences. he area of forest biomes in the FSU was estimated at 1426.1 million hectares (mln ha); forest ecosystems comprised 799.9 mln ha, non-forest ecosystems and arable land comprised 506.1 and 119.9 mln ha, respectively. he vegetation carbon pool was 90.7 GT C. his carbon pool included phytomass and coarse woody debris. he litter and soil carbon pools were 12.2 GT and 319.1 GT C, respectively. The net primary productivity (NPP) of forest and non-forest ecosystems was 5.6 GT C/yr, the rate of foliage formation was 2.3 GT C/yr, the rate of humus formation was 161 NT C/yr with 73 MT C/yr in the stable form. arbon effluxes from mortmass, litter and soil organic matter decomposition were calculated form the NPP, foliage and humus formation rates. he efflux from mortmass decomposition was 2.6 GT C/yr, from litter decomposition 2.1 GT C;yr and from soil organic matter decomposition 61 NT C/yr. onsidering all components of the natural carbon cycle and the anthropogenic influences, FSU forest biomes were a net sink of 473 MT C/yr of atmospheric carbon.