%0 Research article
%T Tree stand development and carbon sequestration in drained peatland stands in Finland – a simulation study
%A Minkkinen, Kari
%A Laine, Jukka
%A Hökkä, Hannu
%D 2001
%J Silva Fennica
%V 35
%N 1
%R doi:10.14214/sf.603
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/603
%X Drained peatland forests form an important timber resource in Finland.  They also form a sink for atmospheric carbon (C) because of the  increased growth and C sequestration rates following drainage. These  rates have, however, been poorly quantified. We simulated the tree stand  dynamics for drained peatland stands with and without cuttings over two  stand rotations. Simulations were done on four peatland site types and  two regions in Finland with different climatic conditions, using  recently published peatland tree growth models applied in a stand  simulator. We then calculated the amount of C stored in the stands on  the basis of previously published tree-level biomass and C content  models. Finally, we developed regression models to estimate C stores in  the tree stands using stand stem volume as the predictor variable. In  the managed stands, the mean growth (annual volume increment) ranged  from 2 to 9 m3 ha–1 a–1, depending on the rotation (first/second), site  type and region. Total yield during one rotation varied from 250 to 920  m3 ha–1. The maximum stand volumes varied from 220 to 520 m3 ha–1 in the  managed stands and from 360 to 770 m3 ha–1 in the unmanaged. By the end  of the first post-drainage rotation the total C store in the managed  stands had increased by 6–12 kg C m–2 (i.e. 45–140 g C m–2 a–1) compared  to that in the undrained situation. Averaged over two rotations, the  increase in the total C store was 3–6 kg C m–2. In the corresponding  unmanaged stands the C stores increased by 8–15 kg m–2 over the same  periods. At stand level, the C stores were almost linearly related to  the stem volume and the developed regression equations could explain the  variation in the simulated C stores almost entirely.