Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and Trends
Abstract Forests are a large carbon sink and could serve as natural climate solutions that help moderate future warming. Thus, establishing forest carbon baselines is essential for tracking climate‐mitigation targets. Western US forests are natural climate solution hotspots but are profoundly threat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-07-01
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| Series: | Earth's Future |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF004399 |
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| author | Jazlynn Hall Manette E. Sandor Brian J. Harvey Sean A. Parks Anna T. Trugman A. Park Williams Winslow D. Hansen |
| author_facet | Jazlynn Hall Manette E. Sandor Brian J. Harvey Sean A. Parks Anna T. Trugman A. Park Williams Winslow D. Hansen |
| author_sort | Jazlynn Hall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Forests are a large carbon sink and could serve as natural climate solutions that help moderate future warming. Thus, establishing forest carbon baselines is essential for tracking climate‐mitigation targets. Western US forests are natural climate solution hotspots but are profoundly threatened by drought and altered disturbance regimes. How these factors shape spatial patterns of carbon storage and carbon change over time is poorly resolved. Here, we estimate live and dead forest carbon density in 19 forested western US ecoregions with national inventory data (2005–2019) to determine: (a) current carbon distributions, (b) underpinning drivers, and (c) recent trends. Potential drivers of current carbon included harvest, wildfire, insect and disease, topography, and climate. Using random forests, we evaluated driver importance and relationships with current live and dead carbon within ecoregions. We assessed trends using linear models. Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Southwest (SW) ecoregions were most and least carbon dense, respectively. Climate was an important carbon driver in the SW and Lower Rockies. Fire reduced live and increased dead carbon, and was most important in the Upper Rockies and California. No ecoregion was unaffected by fire. Harvest and private ownership reduced carbon, particularly in the PNW. Since 2005, live carbon declined across much of the western US, likely from drought and fire. Carbon has increased in PNW ecoregions, likely recovering from past harvest, but recent record fire years may alter trajectories. Our results provide insight into western US forest carbon function and future vulnerabilities, which is vital for effective climate change mitigation strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-946cbfed888c48129f5315a64202bbe9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2328-4277 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth's Future |
| spelling | doaj-art-946cbfed888c48129f5315a64202bbe92025-01-29T07:58:52ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772024-07-01127n/an/a10.1029/2023EF004399Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and TrendsJazlynn Hall0Manette E. Sandor1Brian J. Harvey2Sean A. Parks3Anna T. Trugman4A. Park Williams5Winslow D. Hansen6Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Millbrook NY USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Millbrook NY USASchool of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USAAldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service Missoula MT USADepartment of Geography University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USADepartment of Geography University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Millbrook NY USAAbstract Forests are a large carbon sink and could serve as natural climate solutions that help moderate future warming. Thus, establishing forest carbon baselines is essential for tracking climate‐mitigation targets. Western US forests are natural climate solution hotspots but are profoundly threatened by drought and altered disturbance regimes. How these factors shape spatial patterns of carbon storage and carbon change over time is poorly resolved. Here, we estimate live and dead forest carbon density in 19 forested western US ecoregions with national inventory data (2005–2019) to determine: (a) current carbon distributions, (b) underpinning drivers, and (c) recent trends. Potential drivers of current carbon included harvest, wildfire, insect and disease, topography, and climate. Using random forests, we evaluated driver importance and relationships with current live and dead carbon within ecoregions. We assessed trends using linear models. Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Southwest (SW) ecoregions were most and least carbon dense, respectively. Climate was an important carbon driver in the SW and Lower Rockies. Fire reduced live and increased dead carbon, and was most important in the Upper Rockies and California. No ecoregion was unaffected by fire. Harvest and private ownership reduced carbon, particularly in the PNW. Since 2005, live carbon declined across much of the western US, likely from drought and fire. Carbon has increased in PNW ecoregions, likely recovering from past harvest, but recent record fire years may alter trajectories. Our results provide insight into western US forest carbon function and future vulnerabilities, which is vital for effective climate change mitigation strategies.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF004399forest carbonwildfireharvestdroughtforest inventory |
| spellingShingle | Jazlynn Hall Manette E. Sandor Brian J. Harvey Sean A. Parks Anna T. Trugman A. Park Williams Winslow D. Hansen Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and Trends Earth's Future forest carbon wildfire harvest drought forest inventory |
| title | Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and Trends |
| title_full | Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and Trends |
| title_fullStr | Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and Trends |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and Trends |
| title_short | Forest Carbon Storage in the Western United States: Distribution, Drivers, and Trends |
| title_sort | forest carbon storage in the western united states distribution drivers and trends |
| topic | forest carbon wildfire harvest drought forest inventory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF004399 |
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