title: Opportunity costs of carbon sequestration in a forest concession in central Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A large proportion of the tropical rain forests of central Africa undergo periodic selective logging for timber harvesting. The REDD+ mechanism could promote less intensive logging if revenue from the additional carbon stored in the forest compensates financially for the reduced timber yield.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carbon stocks, and timber yields, and their associated values, were predicted at the scale of a forest concession in Gabon over a project scenario of 40 yr with reduced logging intensity. Considering that the timber contribution margin (i.e. the selling price of timber minus its production costs) varies between 10 and US$40 m-3, the minimum price of carbon that enables carbon revenues to compensate forgone timber benefits ranges between US$4.4 and US$25.9/tCO2depending on the management scenario implemented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Where multiple suppliers of emission reductions compete in a REDD+ carbon market, tropical timber companies are likely to change their management practices only if very favourable conditions are met, namely if the timber contribution margin remains low enough and if alternative management practices and associated incentives are appropriately chosen.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches en Écologie Tropicale, Libreville, BP 13354 Gabon ; Present address: Ministère des Eaux et Forêts, Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndjondo
authors.affiliation: Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, BSEF research unit, Campus international de Baillarguet, Montpellier, 34398 Cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gourlet-Fleury
authors.affiliation: AgroParisTech, UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, 34060 Cedex 2 France.
authors.forename: Raphaël J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Manlay
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches en Écologie Tropicale, Libreville, BP 13354 Gabon.
authors.forename: Nestor Laurier
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Engone Obiang
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches en Écologie Tropicale, Libreville, BP 13354 Gabon.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ngomanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Florida, P.O Box 118525, Gainesville, 32611 FL USA.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, BSEF research unit, Campus international de Baillarguet, Montpellier, 34398 Cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Claeys
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches en Écologie Tropicale, Libreville, BP 13354 Gabon ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, BSEF research unit, Campus international de Baillarguet, Montpellier, 34398 Cedex 5 France ; CIRAD, Yaoundé, BP 2572 Cameroon.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Picard
keywords: Break-even price; Carbon credit; Diameter cutting limit; Felling cycle; Forest degradation; Forest dynamics; Forest management; REDD+; Tropical forest