Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China

This paper develops three scenarios for the management of an existing, low productivity, collective forest plot in Southwest China: continuation of the status quo, transition to sustainable forest management (SFM), and conversion to a short rotation species for producing biomass for electricity gene...

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Main Authors: Kahrl F, Su Y, Tennigkeit, Timm, Wilkes, Andreas, Xu, Jianchu, Yan M
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/41961
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author Kahrl F
Su Y
Tennigkeit, Timm
Wilkes, Andreas
Xu, Jianchu
Yan M
author_browse Kahrl F
Su Y
Tennigkeit, Timm
Wilkes, Andreas
Xu, Jianchu
Yan M
author_facet Kahrl F
Su Y
Tennigkeit, Timm
Wilkes, Andreas
Xu, Jianchu
Yan M
author_sort Kahrl F
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This paper develops three scenarios for the management of an existing, low productivity, collective forest plot in Southwest China: continuation of the status quo, transition to sustainable forest management (SFM), and conversion to a short rotation species for producing biomass for electricity generation. We examine how economic incentives vary across the three scenarios and how payments for CO2 sequestration and offsets affect incentives. We find that SFM is risky for forest managers and is highly sensitive to revenues from initial thinning; that carbon revenues can lower some of the risks and improve the economics of SFM; but that carbon revenues are effective in incentivizing management changes only if yield response to thinning is moderately high. Energy production from stem wood is too low value to compete with timber, even with revenues from CO2 offsets. However, conversion of existing forests into short rotation species for timber rather than energy is more profitable than any scenario considered here, highlighting the need for regulatory innovations to balance incentives for timber production with conservation goals. The results underscore the importance of improved public sector regulatory, planning, extension, and analysis capacity, as an enabling force for effective climate policies in China s forestry sector.
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spelling CGSpace419612024-08-29T11:41:37Z Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China Kahrl F Su Y Tennigkeit, Timm Wilkes, Andreas Xu, Jianchu Yan M agriculture climate sustainable forest management carbon sequestration bioenergy This paper develops three scenarios for the management of an existing, low productivity, collective forest plot in Southwest China: continuation of the status quo, transition to sustainable forest management (SFM), and conversion to a short rotation species for producing biomass for electricity generation. We examine how economic incentives vary across the three scenarios and how payments for CO2 sequestration and offsets affect incentives. We find that SFM is risky for forest managers and is highly sensitive to revenues from initial thinning; that carbon revenues can lower some of the risks and improve the economics of SFM; but that carbon revenues are effective in incentivizing management changes only if yield response to thinning is moderately high. Energy production from stem wood is too low value to compete with timber, even with revenues from CO2 offsets. However, conversion of existing forests into short rotation species for timber rather than energy is more profitable than any scenario considered here, highlighting the need for regulatory innovations to balance incentives for timber production with conservation goals. The results underscore the importance of improved public sector regulatory, planning, extension, and analysis capacity, as an enabling force for effective climate policies in China s forestry sector. 2013-12 2014-08-15T12:13:12Z 2014-08-15T12:13:12Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/41961 en Limited Access Elsevier Kahrl F, Su Y, Tennigkeit T, Wilkes A, Xu J, Yan M. 2012. Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China. Biomass and Bioenergy 59:92-99.
spellingShingle agriculture
climate
sustainable forest management
carbon sequestration
bioenergy
Kahrl F
Su Y
Tennigkeit, Timm
Wilkes, Andreas
Xu, Jianchu
Yan M
Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China
title Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China
title_full Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China
title_fullStr Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China
title_full_unstemmed Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China
title_short Incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in Southwest China
title_sort incentives for carbon sequestration and energy production in low productivity collective forests in southwest china
topic agriculture
climate
sustainable forest management
carbon sequestration
bioenergy
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/41961
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AT wilkesandreas incentivesforcarbonsequestrationandenergyproductioninlowproductivitycollectiveforestsinsouthwestchina
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