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Estimating Carbon Stocks and Stock Changes in Forests: Linking Models and Data Across Scales

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Managing Forest Ecosystems: The Challenge of Climate Change

Part of the book series: Managing Forest Ecosystems ((MAFE,volume 17))

Concerns over the impacts of atmospheric changes on the global climate system have resulted in a global emphasis on altering anthropogenic activities to reduce the rate of atmospheric change. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) rose from 280 ppm prior to the industrial revolution to ∼380ppm in 2005 and other greenhouse gases have also increased (e.g., methane from 715 to 1,774 ppb1) (IPCC, 2007). Increases in the amount of atmospheric carbon have been linked to changes in climate, including a 0.74°C temperature increase in the last 100 years (IPCC, 2007). Christensen et al. (2007) note that all land regions will likely warm in the 21st century.

In this paper, we present a discussion of methods used to obtain information on carbon stocks, using reported analyses as examples. We begin with some of the challenges in obtaining the necessary information. Methods used to integrate data and models across time and spatial scales, including stratification into large ecosystems, and imputation and regression methods to expand data to unsampled locations, are then discussed. In the summary, we list some of the research needs for improving these linkages and resulting estimates. As there are many articles relating to carbon budgeting, a full review is not given. Instead, examples of research, weighted to more current articles, are referenced.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Resources Management Department, University of British Columbia, 2045-2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    V. LeMay (Professor)

  2. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, 506 West Burnside Road, Victoria, BC, V8Z 1M5, Canada

    W. A. Kurz (Senior Scientist)

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  1. V. LeMay
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  2. W. A. Kurz
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Valladolid, Palencia, Spain

    Felipe Bravo

  2. Research and Training Centre for Forest, Landscape and Natural Hazards (BFW), Vienna, Austria

    Robert Jandl

  3. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Valerie LeMay

  4. Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany

    Klaus von Gadow

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LeMay, V., Kurz, W.A. (2008). Estimating Carbon Stocks and Stock Changes in Forests: Linking Models and Data Across Scales. In: Bravo, F., Jandl, R., LeMay, V., von Gadow, K. (eds) Managing Forest Ecosystems: The Challenge of Climate Change. Managing Forest Ecosystems, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8343-3_4

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