Forest Carbon Storage and Carbon Sequestration Potential in Shaanxi Province, China

Abstract

The carbon storage of forest vegetation plays a crucial role in the terrestrial carbon budget. The objective of this study is to elucidate the current biomass carbon storage and sequestration capacity, as well as the future carbon sequestration potential of forest ecosystems in Shaanxi Province of China, thus providing data support and policy references for sustainable forest management and the response of carbon sequestration to climate change. Based on the data obtained from the seventh and ninth forest resource inventories, the regional biomass conversion factors, and carbon measurement parameters, the biomass conversion factor method is employed to estimate the biomass storage and carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems. (1) The total carbon storage of forest lands in Shaanxi Province was 285.20 Tg. The carbon storage of arbor forests, sparse woodlands, scattered forests, four-side trees, shrub woodland, and bamboo forests were 237.09 Tg, 2.93 Tg, 12.30 Tg, 5.98 Tg, 26.35 Tg, and 0.56 Tg, respectively. (2) Over the 10 years from the seventh (2005) to the ninth (2015) forest resource inventories, the carbon storage of forests increased from 207 Tg to 285 Tg, with a total increase of 78.01 Tg (37.65%), demonstrating a significant carbon sink function. (3) From 2015 to 2060, the carbon density of arbor forests will increase from 33.53 Mg/ha to 46.90 Mg/ha, and the carbon storage will increase from 237 Tg to 432 Tg. These results indicate that forests have significant net carbon sequestration capacity and can play an important role in achieving China’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. Aiming for carbon neutrality, improving forest management, along with protecting and utilizing forest resources through technological innovation, will become the driving force for increasing carbon storage in Shaanxi Province in the future.