Assessment of carbon concentration and estimation of the potential for GHG emissions in forest fuels

Abstract

The study of the phenomenon of global warming implies a particular problem, since to make reliable estimates of the benefits of mitigation strategies, it is necessary to generate specific data; such as the valuation of the carbon contents in the vegetation. On the other hand, forest fires release GHG emissions, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and carbon monoxide (CO). However, the magnitude of these impacts depends on several factors, such as the load of fuels, type of vegetation, humidity percentage, etc. According to the above, two perspectives on the relationship between forest fuels and carbon are presented: a) a comparative analysis of the percentage of carbon contained in dead fuels from three forest ecosystems (pine, pine-oak and oak); and b) spatial variations in greenhouse gas emissions from fuel beds. The carbon concentrations were 53.92, 54.6 and 53.57% for the oak, pine-oak and pine ecosystems, respectively. By type of fuel, firm fuels of 1000 hours had the highest concentration; on the other hand, litter represented the lowest concentration. Regarding emissions, the results indicate that carbon dioxide (with 5% humidity of the fuels) had a range of emissions between 150 and 400 t/ha. While CH₄ varied on average between 0.3 to 4.5 t/ha and CO had a range mainly between 2 and 8 t/ha. The information generated will support the estimates of carbon emissions and storage in the forest ecosystems of Mexico, within the MRV strategy (Measurement, Reporting and Verification).