Abstract

One way of increasing the supply of renewable energy, thereby decreasing the use of fossil fuels, is to extract the stumps that remain after final stem harvesting. However, little is known about the environmental consequences of stump harvesting, and how ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, are affected by the practice. In the present paper, the effects on the soil carbon pool during the first months and years after stump harvesting in former Norway spruce stands are presented. The study was performed at two sites in mid- and southern Sweden. At both sites, the soil CO2 flux was measured on several occasions with a portable respiration system, to compare plots on which stump harvesting had occurred, with reference plots. At one of the sites, CO2 exchange was also followed continuously by means of eddy-covariance measurements before and after stump harvesting. Since there was no vegetation at the beginning of the study, almost all emitted CO2 could be assumed to come from heterotrophic sources, and the soil CO2 flux was measured. This study shows that the effect of stump harvesting on CO2 flux or soil decomposition processes is small or absent compared to site preparation such as mounding in a short-term perspective of months and years. The long-term consequences of stump harvesting are, however, still uncertain.

Keywords

C stock; Picea abies; site preparation; soil C; soil disturbance; soil respiration; stump removal

Published in

Silva Fennica
2012, Volume: 46, number: 1, pages: 67-79
Publisher: FINNISH SOC FOREST SCIENCEFINNISH FOREST RESEARCH

SLU Authors

• Strömgren, Monika

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Mjöfors, Kristina

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Grelle, Achim

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all


UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science
Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
Renewable Bioenergy Research


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.66

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/56506