Long-term carbon stock recovery in a neotropical-logged forest

Abstract

This article assesses the effect of different logging levels on loss of above-ground biomass and the contribution of different ecological groups of species in the long-term recovery of C stocks. A randomized complete blocks design was established in 1987 with three felling treatments: diameter above 20 cm, 40 cm and 60 cm. All the trees and palms bigger than 10 cm dbh were measured. The average stock in old growth forests was 84.3 t C/ha. Low- and medium-impact treatments led to C reductions in 10% and 44%, respectively; for low impact, a significant increase was detected after the 25-year measurements, which could be related to a possible CO₂ fertilization effect. For high impact, 79% of C was lost, but the original level recovered after 20 years. The ecological succession process, subsequent to logging, is an efficient mechanism to restore C stocks.

Keywords:

• Forest management
• ecosystem services
• ecological restoration
• climate change mitigation
• Caparo Experimental Station

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the staff of the Caparo Experimental Station for their assistance during fieldwork.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by Consejo de Desarrollo Científico y Humanístico – Universidad de Los Andes (project FO-713-12-01-B) and from FONACIT, Venezuela (project 2013001605).