Attributing carbon changes in conterminous U.S. forests to disturbance and non-disturbance factors from 1901 to 2010

Fangmin Zhang; Jing M. Chen; Yude Pan; Richard Birdsey; Shuanghe Shen; Weimin Ju; Liming He

doi:10.1029/2011JG001930

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Attributing carbon changes in conterminous U.S. forests to disturbance and non-disturbance factors from 1901 to 2010

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Fangmin Zhang, Jing M. Chen, Yude Pan, Richard Birdsey, Shuanghe Shen, Weimin Ju, Liming He

Year:

2012

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001930

Source:

Journal of Geophysical Research. 1: G02021. 1-18.

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Abstract

Recent climate variability (increasing temperature, droughts) and atmospheric composition changes (nitrogen deposition, rising CO₂ concentration) along with harvesting, wildfires, and insect infestations have had significant effects on U.S. forest carbon (C) uptake. In this study, we attribute C changes in the conterminous U.S. forests to disturbance and non-disturbance factors with the help of forest inventory data, a continental stand age map, and an updated Integrated Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Cycle model (InTEC). We grouped factors into disturbances (harvesting, fire, insect infestation) and non-disturbances (CO₂ concentration, N deposition, and climate variability) and estimated their subsequent impacts on forest regrowth patterns.

Citation

Zhang, Fangmin; Chen, Jing M.; Pan, Yude; Birdsey, Richard A.; Shen, Shuanghe; Ju, Weimin; He, Liming. 2012. Attributing carbon changes in conterminous US forests to disturbance and non-disturbance factors from 1901 to 2010. Journal of Geophysical Research. 1: G02021. 1-18.