title: The ecological and economic potential of carbon sequestration in forests: examples from South America.
abstract: Costs of reforestation projects determine their competitiveness with alternative measures to mitigate rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We quantify carbon sequestration in above-ground biomass and soils of plantation forests and secondary forests in two countries in South America-Ecuador and Argentina-and calculate costs of temporary carbon sequestration. Costs per temporary certified emission reduction unit vary between 0.1 and 2.7 USD Mg(-1) CO2 and mainly depend on opportunity costs, site suitability, discount rates, and certification costs. In Ecuador, secondary forests are a feasible and cost-efficient alternative, whereas in Argentina reforestation on highly suitable land is relatively cheap. Our results can be used to design cost-effective sink projects and to negotiate fair carbon prices for landowners.
authors.affiliation: University of Göttingen, Institute of Soil Science and Forest Nutrition, Germany. fkoning@uio.telconet.net
authors.forename: Free
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Koning
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Olschewski
authors.forename: Edzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veldkamp
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benítez
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Ulloa
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schlichter
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Urquiza
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004484:Ecuador; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D016468:Forestry / Q000191:economics*; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon