The Potential of U.S. Forest Soils to Sequester Carbon and Mitigate the Greenhouse Effect

by Kimble; John M.

• ISBN13: 9781566705837
• ISBN10: 1566705835
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-09-25
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

Much attention has been given to above ground biomass and its potential as a carbon sink, but in a mature forest ecosystem 40 to 60 percent of the stored carbon is below ground. As increasing numbers of forests are managed in a wide diversity of climates and soils, the importance of forest soils as a potential carbon sink grows. The Potential of U.S. Forest Soils to Sequester Carbon and Mitigate the Greenhouse Effect provides researchers and policy makers with an understanding of soil processes and their relation to carbon dynamics, as well as strategies to monitor and techniques to measure forest soil carbon. It covers the effects of management on soils in a wide range of forest ecosystems together with policy options that are effective and benefit both the forest community and the over all environment. This valuable reference provides forest managers, urban planners, land owners, policy makers, and the general public with guidance that will allow for a holistic approach to land management, environmental quality, and improved forest productivity.

Table of Contents

THE EXTENT, GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND CARBON DYNAMICS OF U.S. FOREST SOILS

Introduction and General Description of US Forests, J.M. Kimble, R.A. Birdsey, R. Lal, and L.S. Heath

Current and Historical Trends in use, Management and Disturbance of United States Forest Lands, R.A. Birdsey and G.M. Lewis

Carbon Trends in US Forest Lands: A Context for the Role of Soils in Forest Carbon Sequestration, L.S. Heath, J.E. Smith and R.A. Birdsey

Quantifying the Organic Carbon Held in Forested Soils of the United States and Puerto Rico, M. Johnson and J. Kern

Techniques to Measure and Strategies to Monitor Forest Soil Carbon, C. Palmer

SOILS PROCESSES AND CARBON DYNAMICS

Carbon Cycling in Forest Ecosystems with an Emphasis on Belowground Processes, K.S. Pregitzer

Forest Soil Ecology and Soil Organic Carbon, S.J. Morris and E.A. Paul

Global Change and Forest Soils, J. Hom

Processes Affecting Carbon Storage in the Forest Floor and in Downed Woody Debris, W.S. Currie, R.D. Yanai, K.B. Piatek, C.E. Prescott, and C.L. Goodale

Impacts of Natural Disturbance on Soil Carbon Dynamics in Forest Ecosystems, S.T. Overby, S.C. Hart, and D.G. Neary

MANAGEMENT IMPACTS ON US FOREST SOILS

Soil Erosion in Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Dynamics, W.J. Elliot

Impact of Soil Restoration, Management, and Land Use History on Forest Soil Carbon, W. M. Post

Fire and Fire Suppression Impacts on Forest Soil Carbon

D. Page-Dumroese, M. Jurgensen and A. Harvey

Soil Carbon Sequestration and Forest Management: Challenges and Opportunities, C.M. Hoover

Management Impacts on Compaction in Forest Soils, R. Lal

SPECIFIC FOREST ECOSYSTEMS

Soil Carbon in Permafrost Dominated Boreal Forests, J. Hom

Soil Carbon Distribution in High-Elevation Forests of the U.S.A., J.G. Bockheim

Soil Carbon in Arid and Semiarid Forest Ecosystems, D.G. Neary, S.T. Overby and S.C. Hart

Carbon Cycling in Wetland Forest Soils, C. Trettin and M.F. Jurgensen

Carbon Storage in North American Agroforestry Systems, P.K. Nair and V.D. Nair

Soil Carbon in Urban Forest Ecosystems, R. Pouyat, J. Russell-Anelli, I. Yesilonis, and P.M. Groffman

Soil Organic Carbon in Tropical Forests of the United States of America, W.L. Silver, A.E. Lugo, and D. Farmer

SYNTHESIS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

The Potential of U.S. Forest Soils to Sequester Carbon, L.S. Heath, J.M. Kimble, R.A. Birdsey, and R. Lal

Economic Analysis of Soil Carbon in Afforestation and Forest Management Decisions, B. Sohngen, R. Alig, and Suk-won Choi

Research and Development Priorities for Carbon Sequestration in Forest Soils, R. Lal