How fire and insect outbreaks changes carbon uptake, release and storage in forests

1. Carbon Cycles in Western Forests Michael G. Ryan Michael A. Battaglia USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Fort Collins, CO 80526 [email_address] mbattaglia@fs.fed.us http://lamar.colostate.edu/~mryan SAF - Mesa CO May 1, 2009

2. From SOCCR Report: http://www.climatescience.gov Why does the carbon cycle matter? CO 2 : Warms earth Increases ocean acidity Was lower than 280 ppm for > 400,000 years Rising CO 2 shows sources > sinks CCSP, 2007. The First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR): The North American Carbon Budget and Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle .

4. Forest carbon after disturbance: loss and recovery Photo by Mike Ryan Photo by Dan Kashian Photo by National Park Service Photo by Mike Ryan

5. How Does Fire Change Forest Carbon? Fire kills trees, it doesn’t consume them; Fire losses of foliage and forest floor are only ~10-20% of the site carbon Photo by Dan Kashian Photo by AZ Dept Emergency Mgmt

11. The rate of ecosystem carbon storage declines rapidly with time since disturbance Annual Ecosystem Carbon Storage

12. The carbon lost in the 1988 fire and in the decomposition of the trees killed in the fire will be recovered quickly Total Ecosystem Carbon

13. What happens with no regeneration? Example: Hayman Fire, Colorado, 2002 Photo by Merrill Kaufmann, USFS

14. After a fire, if a forest replaces itself, there is little change in C unless Disturbance Interval >> C Recovery Time If fire turns forest into meadow or shrublands, carbon is lost to the atmosphere (for example, Hayman fire, Colorado) Photo by National Park Service

15. What about MPB Outbreak? Example: Colorado, 1998-? Photo by Merrill Kaufmann, USFS

16. Large temporary carbon source over a large area

17. But, the ecosystem C recovers as the trees regrow

18. The larger the landscape, the more stable the carbon seems

20. From SOCCR Report: http://www.climatescience.gov In US, forests and long-lived wood products offset about 12-20% of fossil-fuel emissions North America Mt = (10 12 g) CCSP, 2007. The First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR): The North American Carbon Budget and Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle .

21. US Forest Carbon Balance 1800-1950: Forest Disturbance on a Massive Scale-the Industrial Revolution Birdsey, R., K. Pregitzer, and A. Lucier. 2006. Forest carbon management in the United States: 1600-2100. Journal of Environmental Quality 35:1461-1469. In 1915, emissions from forests were 760 million tons C per year Photo courtesy of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, KIN084. ?

22. In 2000, sequestration by forests was ~200 million tons C per year US Forest Carbon Balance 1950 to 2008: Forest Regrowth on a Massive Scale Birdsey, R., K. Pregitzer, and A. Lucier. 2006. Forest carbon management in the United States: 1600-2100. Journal of Environmental Quality 35:1461-1469. Photo by Mike Ryan

24. Timing is important: YNP Landscape