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Effects of management regimes on carbon sequestration under the Natural Forest Protection Program in northeast China

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Abstract

Carbon sinks constitute an important element within the complex phenomenon of global climate change, and forest ecosystems are important global carbon sinks. The Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) is an ecological program in China that was established after catastrophic flooding in the country in 1998. The goals of the NFPP are to curb the deterioration of the ecological environment, strengthen the protection and restoration of habitat to increase biodiversity, and rehabilitate natural forests to support sustainable development in forest regions. This study looked at changes in carbon sequestration in a forested area of northeast China after the inception of the NFPP. The program divides China’s natural forests into three classes—commercial and two types of noneconomic forests—that are subject to management regimes prescribing varying levels of timber harvest, afforestation, and reforestation. During the 18-year period from 1998 to 2015, the total amount of carbon sequestration increased at an average annual rate of 0.04 MT C. This trend reflects a transformation of forest management practices after implementation of the NFPP that resulted in prohibited and/or restricted logging and tighter regulation of allowable harvest levels for specific areas. In documenting this trend, guidelines for more effective implementation of forestry programs such as the NFPP in other countries in the future are also suggested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, People’s Republic of China

    Linhai Jiang, Bernard J. Lewis & Limin Dai

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People’s Republic of China

    Linhai Jiang

  3. Department and Research Center of the State Post Bereau, Beijing, 100000, People’s Republic of China

    Linhai Jiang

  4. Dalian Institute of Software and Service Outsourcing, Dalian, 106000, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Zhao

  5. Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110000, People’s Republic of China

    Yawei Wei

Authors
  1. Linhai Jiang
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  2. Wei Zhao
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  3. Bernard J. Lewis
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  4. Yawei Wei
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  5. Limin Dai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Limin Dai.

Additional information

Project Funding: This work was supported by San Chazi Forestry Bureau, and the key project of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant No. KFZD-SW-305-001.

The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com

Corresponding Editor: Chai Ruihai.

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Jiang, L., Zhao, W., Lewis, B.J. et al. Effects of management regimes on carbon sequestration under the Natural Forest Protection Program in northeast China. J. For. Res. 29, 1187–1194 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0542-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0542-0

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