title: Modeling the CO2-effects of forest management and wood usage on a regional basis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  At the 15thConference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Copenhagen, 2009, harvested wood products were identified as an additional carbon pool. This modification eliminates inconsistencies in greenhouse gas reporting by recognizing the role of the forest and timber sector in the global carbon cycle. Any additional CO2-effects related to wood usage are not considered by this modification. This results in a downward bias when the contribution of the forest and timber sector to climate change mitigation is assessed. The following article analyses the overall contribution to climate protection made by the forest management and wood utilization through CO2-emissions reduction using an example from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Based on long term study periods (2011 to 2050 and 2100, respectively). Various alternative scenarios for forest management and wood usage are presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the mid- to long-term (2050 and 2100, respectively) the net climate protection function of scenarios with varying levels of wood usage is higher than in scenarios without any wood usage. This is not observed for all scenarios on short and mid term evaluations. The advantages of wood usage are evident although the simulations resulted in high values for forest storage in the C pools. Even the carbon sink effect due to temporal accumulation of deadwood during the period from 2011 to 2100 is outbalanced by the potential of wood usage effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A full assessment of the CO2-effects of the forest management requires an assessment of the forest supplemented with an assessment of the effects of wood usage. CO2-emission reductions through both fuel and material substitution as well as CO2sink in wood products need to be considered. An integrated assessment of the climate protection function based on the analysis of the study's scenarios provides decision parameters for a strategic approach to climate protection with regard to forest management and wood use at regional and national levels. The short-term evaluation of subsystems can be misleading, rendering long-term evaluations (until 2100, or even longer) more effective. This is also consistent with the inherently long-term perspective of forest management decisions and measures.
authors.affiliation: Knauf Consulting, Dorotheenstrasse 7, Bielefeld, D-33615 Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knauf
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg (Center for Wood Sciences - World Forestry), Leuschnerstrasse 91, Hamburg,, D-21031 Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Köhl
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg (Center for Wood Sciences - World Forestry), Leuschnerstrasse 91, Hamburg,, D-21031 Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mues
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg (Center for Wood Sciences - World Forestry), Leuschnerstrasse 91, Hamburg,, D-21031 Germany.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olschofsky
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg (Center for Wood Sciences - Mechanical Technology), Leuschnerstrasse 91, Hamburg,, D-21031 Germany.
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frühwald
keywords: Carbon management in forestry and wood products; Carbon stock; Climate protection; Emission reduction through substitution; Modeling; Scenario analysis