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Hurricane impacts on US forest carbon sequestration.

Steven G McNulty1

  • 1USDA Forest Service, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. steve_mcnulty@ncsu.edu

Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|February 9, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Hurricanes significantly impact US forest carbon storage, converting 10% of annual sequestration into dead biomass. Forests need 15 years to recover, causing substantial carbon loss from destruction and reduced sequestration capacity.

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Area of Science:

  • Forestry
  • Ecology
  • Climate Science

Background:

  • US forests are crucial carbon sinks, sequestering approximately 20 teragrams (Tg) of carbon annually.
  • Existing carbon sequestration models often overlook the substantial impact of hurricanes.
  • Intense hurricanes affect the eastern US bi-annually, posing a significant threat to forest ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the influence of hurricanes on forest carbon storage in the US.
  • To quantify the short-term and long-term effects of hurricane-induced biomass destruction and reduced sequestration capacity.
  • To highlight the importance of incorporating hurricane impacts into forest carbon management strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing data on US forest carbon sequestration rates.
  • Analysis of hurricane frequency and intensity in the eastern US.
  • Estimation of carbon loss due to biomass destruction and reduced sequestration capacity post-hurricane.

Main Results:

  • A single intense hurricane can destroy carbon equivalent to 10% of the annual US forest sequestration.
  • Only 15% of timber destroyed by hurricanes is salvaged, with the rest decomposing.
  • Forests require a minimum of 15 years to recover from severe storm damage, leading to prolonged carbon sequestration deficits.

Conclusions:

  • Hurricanes are a major factor reducing short-term carbon storage in US forests.
  • The indirect effects of lost sequestration capacity significantly contribute to overall carbon loss.
  • Accurate forest carbon accounting necessitates the inclusion of hurricane disturbance dynamics.

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