Preliminary estimates of biomass carbon stock changes in managed forests in the Republic of Ireland over the period 1990-2000.

Abstract

National reporting requirements to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on carbon sequestration in forests and harvest include estimates of changes in biomass stock in the forest estate over time. Incomplete inventory records have meant that yearly records of total forest increment were not available. A time series was constructed for Irish forests for the period 1990- 2000 using forest area categories defined in the forest inventory and planning system of the Forest Service. These data were supplemented by planting and felling data. Carbon stock changes are presented for the year 2000 and show a net increase of 160,000 t of carbon after harvest. Calculations are carried out in a flexible spreadsheet model which can be updated as new data on biomass expansion factor comes to hand.