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Evaluation of carbon sequestration and thinning regimes within the optimization framework for forest stand management

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Abstract

Due to the urgent demand for thinning in planted forests and the tend towards sustainable forest resource management, the forest stand age class eligible for the thinning subsidy in Japan was expanded during the period from 2000 to 2004. Currently, further expansion is under consideration in line with meeting the Kyoto Protocol target of carbon sequestration. In this paper, we conducted evaluation analyses of carbon sequestration and subsidy effects within the optimization framework for the forest stand management. The optimal forest stand management model called Dynamic Programming model for Kyushu Stand Simulator (DP-KYSS) was utilized for the analysis of the target sugi (Cryptomeria japonia) forest stand in the Kyushu region, Japan. Our results showed that the thinning subsidy was effective to stimulate thinning activities at the eligible age class for the subsidy, and that 20% of the current or proposed payment was appropriate to give an incentive to forest owners for conducting the same optimal thinning regime. The amount of carbon sequestered in remaining trees at final harvest was not always shown to increase over time. Depending upon the subsidy condition, it could decrease. The average annual amount of carbon sequestered under no subsidy showed its maximum at age 35, while under the other subsidy conditions, it was shortened to age 25. The net present value of cost per unit carbon loss associated with subsidy became the highest for the rotation age of 35 years for all subsidy policies considered here.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Dr. Miho Nomoto at Kyushu University, Japan, for gathering information on subsidy from the Fukuoka prefecture office, Japan. We also appreciate the assistance from Dr. Hirokazu Yanagihara at Hiroshima University, Dr. Yoshiyuki Ninomiya at Kyushu University, Dr. Kiyoshi Yukutake at University of Miyazaki, and Hoshino Village forest officers in conducting a field survey at Hoshino Village, Fukuoka, Japan. We also thank Dr. B. Jeyadevan at Tohoku University for his editorial comments. This research was supported partly by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 15330048) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and by Global Environment Research Fund (No. S-4).

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  1. Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-20 Aoba-Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan

    Atsushi Yoshimoto

  2. Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, 960 53, Zvolen, Slovakia

    Róbert Marušák

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  1. Atsushi Yoshimoto
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Correspondence to Atsushi Yoshimoto.

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Communicated by Martin Moog.

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Yoshimoto, A., Marušák, R. Evaluation of carbon sequestration and thinning regimes within the optimization framework for forest stand management. Eur J Forest Res 126, 315–329 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-006-0150-6

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