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Carbon Reporting Using the Forest Vegetation Simulator

This report presents the application of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) for carbon reporting in forest management. Developed by the USDA Forest Service, it integrates models for fire behavior, vegetation prediction, and carbon estimation to assess fuel levels, fire hazards, and biomass in various forest stands. The tool enables users to simulate management activities, analyze tradeoffs between fire hazard reduction and wildlife habitat conservation, and generate critical reports, thereby supporting sustainable ecosystem management and carbon accounting. ###

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Carbon Reporting Using the Forest Vegetation Simulator

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  1. Carbon Reporting Using the Forest Vegetation Simulator USDA Forest Service Forest Management Service Center Forest Vegetation Simulator staff

  2. Carbon Reporting Using the Forest Vegetation Simulator Collaborators Stephanie Rebain – USDA FS, FVS Group, WO-D Don Robinson – ESSA Technologies Ltd., Vancouver B.C. Nick Crookston - USDA FS, Rocky Mountain Research Station Coeli Hoover - USDA FS, Northern Research Station Linda Heath - USDA FS Northern Research Station Jim Smith - USDA FS, Northern Research Station Richard Birdsey - USDA FS, Northern Research Station

  3. Fire and Fuels Extension • Tracks variables such as fire hazard, fuel loading, and snag levels over time • In addition to thinning and harvesting, users can simulate wildfires, prescribed burns, and other types of fuel treatments such as chipping and pileburns. • Calibrated for most FVS variants (not AK and CS) • Southern variant specifically calibrated for the Ozark-Ouachita Mountains, but is being expanded.

  4. FFE Applications • Assess fuel levels and fire hazard • To compare fuel management prescriptions • Create visual images of stand conditions and fire hazard for communication with the public • Examine tradeoffs between fire hazard reduction and other objectives, such as wildlife habitat

  5. FFE Model Components • FFE combines the vegetation predictions of FVS with: • Existing fire behavior and effects models (Behave, FOFEM, Consume, Nexus) • Estimates of fuel accumulation and decay • Estimates of snag fall down and decay

  6. FFE Model Output • Potential Fire report • Fuels report (biomass values) • Burn Conditions report (for simulated fires) • Fuel Consumption report (for simulated fires) • Mortality report (for simulated fires) • Snag reports • Carbon reports

  7. FFE Fuels Report • Every stand component has a biomass • Estimates biomass (tons/acre) in: • Surface fuel (by category) • Dead standing trees • Live standing trees • Estimates biomass removed and biomass consumed

  8. Biomass Calculations • Biomass estimates are DRY tons/acre • Live and dead tree biomass is composed of 2 pieces: • Crown biomass • Based on tree specs (species, dbh, etc.) • From published literature (papers by Brown and others) • Biomass of main stem

  9. Biomass Calculations • Biomass of main stem: • Based on volume estimate (cuft) • Then a lbs/cuft conversion factor is assumed • lbs/cuft factors are derived from the species- based specific gravity values in the Wood Handbook • Example: specific gravity of Ponderosa pine is 0.38. • 0.38 * 62.372 = 23.7 lbs/cuft • Biomass is not reduced for defect

  10. Carbon Report • Every stand component has carbon • Estimates carbon (tons/acre or metric tons/ha) in: • Live trees and dead trees (above and below ground) • Surface fuel (down dead wood, forest floor (litter & duff), and herbs/shrubs) • Estimates carbon removed from the stand • CarbRept keyword produces report

  11. FFE Stand Carbon Report • Tons/acre of carbon = 0.5*tons/acre of biomass (except forest floor is 0.37*biomass) • Reported in tons/acre or metric tons/ha • Values based on FFE fuels report biomass estimates or uses biomass estimates in Jenkins et. al. (Forest Science 2003) • Jenkins equations are based on national meta-analysis (simplified equations based on dbh and 10 species groups)

  12. FFE Harvested Carbon Report • Follows merch harvested carbon through time • Estimates harvested carbon in four categories: • Forest Products • Landfill • Energy – emitted with energy capture • Emissions – emitted without energy capture • Based on Smith, Heath, Skog and Birdsey 2006 (GTR-NE-343)

  13. Example • Oak-hickory stand in the Ozarks • Inventoried in 1996 - 130 ft2/acre • Compare a no management simulation with a shelterwood simulation • 2006 – prep cut - 120 ft2/acre (min. dbh = 4”) • 2011 – sheltewood cut - 70 ft2/acre • 2016 – removal cut • Regeneration included in simulations

  14. Example • No Action simulation

  15. Example • Shelterwood simulation

  16. Example

  17. Example • Shelterwood simulation (CarbCut keyword)

  18. Example • Shelterwood simulation (CarbRept keyword)

  19. Limitations • No statistics output (CIs, sampling error) and currently can only estimate biomass and carbon at the stand level (not for individual plots) • Stem biomass / carbon calculated from volume does not include bark • How good are these estimates anyway? Validation is necessary!

  20. FVS Support Staff Forest Management Service Center 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg. A, Suite 341a Fort Collins, CO 80526 FVS Hotline 970-295-5770 Erin Smith-Mateja 541-471-6706 Gary Dixon Bob Havis Chad Keyser Stephanie Rebain Erin Smith-Mateja Don Vandendriesche

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