Abstract

KELEş, Sedat. Optimum cutting ages in hybrid poplar plantations including carbon sequestration: A case study in Turkey. Rev. Chapingo ser. cienc. for. ambient [online]. 2016, vol.22, n.3, pp.339-349. ISSN 2007-4018.  https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchscfa.2015.12.053.

Determining optimum cutting ages including various forest ecosystem values together with wood production is extremely important in forestry now. This study presents the optimum cutting ages in hybrid poplar plantations (Populus x euramericana [Dode] Guinier cv. I-214) including timber production and carbon sequestration values in Turkey. It also evaluates the effects of different discount rates and carbon prices on the optimum cutting ages using net present value approach. The growth and yield curves and biomass/ carbon conversion factors for hybrid poplar plantations with forest plantation costs are used to determine the optimum cutting ages. Results of the case study showed that the integration of carbon sequestration benefits into wood benefits increased the optimum cutting ages of hybrid poplar plantations. Optimum cutting ages decreased from 19 to 14 years depending on the increase in discount rates. When carbon prices increased, the optimum cutting ages also increased from 17 to 20 years. In the presence of carbon sequestration benefits, increasing the optimum cutting age yields net economic benefits of 374 to 1,654 US$•ha-1. Total net present values obtained from wood production and carbon sequestration benefits increased between 6 and 26 % depending on the increase in carbon prices (from 0 to 40 US$•t-1 carbon).

Keywords : Cutting age; forest management; climate change; net present value; carbon sequestration..

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