Air%20Pollution%20and%20Carbon%20Sink

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Air Pollution and Carbon Sink

• M. Obersteiner, V. Stolbovoi, S. Nilsson
• IIASA - FOR

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LULUCF carbon credits
Air Pollution
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Carbon Sink (green) and Source (red) Regions
(analysis by 1x1 km grid)
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Based on IPCC (2001) and Steffen et al. (1998)
Atmospheric Pool
GPP 120 Gt C yr-1
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Carbon Flux Inventory for Boreal Zone (Mt)
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Hydrosphere
20 Lithosphere
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Biochemical level Cellular level
Whole plant level Species level
Community level
Increasingly mechanistic Increasingly
integrative
NBP
CARBON SINK
GPP
ASSIMILATION
Processes
MAINTENANCE
STORAGE
DEFENCE
Rate Duration Sensitivity Resilience
Respiration Turnover
Level Chemistry Distribution dir. Resiliance
Amount Partitioning Timing Indirect Resilience
Properties
Decreased Production Altered Community Dynamics
Increased suceptibility to biotic and abiotic
stresses
Reduced assimilate supply
Implications
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The Integrator- Growth of (woody) plants

• Shoots
• Leaves
• Cambium
• Roots and Rhizosphere Symbionts
• Reproductive growth
• Changes in the carbon partitioning pattern

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Ecosystem response

• Structural and altered community dynamics
• Higher Risks
• Biotic (insect, pests and diseases)
• Abiotic
• Drought (also if cuticula or impaired stomatal
  closure is injured winter desiccation)
• Wind
• Cold hardiness
• Fire

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Factors affecting response
Hazard Vulnerability
Species and genotyp
Pollutant dosage frequency
Types combination
Stress tolerance mex.
Plant age
Interact with diseases
Environmental regime
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Vulnerability Management

• Earlier removal Short rotation species
• Less vulnerable species (less productive)
• Fertilization
• Mono height stands (decrease interceptive
  surface)
• Calamity management (decreased stocking for fire
  prevention)
• .
• Risk management
• decrease carbon stock in forest AND its
  permanence, digression in ecosystem value and
  higher costs

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Management for Carbon Sinks
Products

Vegetation
Medium-term Conservation
Living Biomass
Short-term Conservation

Soil
Surface Detritus
Underground Detritus
Organic-Mineral Phase
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Quantification and Verification

• Level Quantifying the sink strength
• Change Temporal verification of air pollution
  effect is possible, but attribution is difficult
  (link to carbon market).
• However, management options are numerous and
  effective (3.3 in SRES)

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Carbon market and Air pollutionStylised examples

• Case 1 Russian forest fire in 1998
• Case 2 Who pays for the lost removal - Austria
• Case 3 Environmental additionality - JI in
  Poland

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Conclusion

• Yes, there are clear and quantitatively important
  linkages
• Methodology Risk augmented cost / benefit
• Land management is local and multiple criteria
• Consistency with MCPFE, BdConv., Food supply

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