| Project name: | The fate and future of carbon in forests |
|---|---|
| Project duration: | 10/2020 - 04/2024 |
| Project implementer: | Czech Geological Survey (CGS) |
| Project partners: | Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Biology Centre CAS CZ (HBU, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Ltd |
| Funding resource: | Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, Norway Grants |
The fate and future of carbon in forests (CatchCaN) is applied research in that will undertake original investigations to acquire new knowledge with respect to carbon sequestration in the forests of Czechia in the face of future changes in climate, air pollution and forest species.
CatchCaN is international cooperation between applied research institutes in Czechia, Norway and Sweden.
The "Fate and future of carbon in forests" benefits from a € 1 500 000 grant from Norway Grants and the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic within the KAPPA Programme.
The forests of Czechia are changing. Coniferous forests are under attack by bark beetles, having been weakened by extended droughts, perhaps a consequence of climate change. Forests are still recovering from the effects of air pollution of the 1970s and 1980s. A switch to hardwood species may ensue. Climate change may increase the frequency and severity of droughts, floods, fires, and windthrows. These changes affect the ability of forests to capture and store atmospheric carbon (C) and target of carbon neutrality by the year 2050.
Streams, reservoirs and drinking water supplies may be affected. Protection of national parks and other natural habitats may be difficult.
CatchCaN has this background. Rigorous forecasts of the future of carbon in forests in Czechia necessitates a concerted effort to bring together recent knowledge and data on forest ekosystém processes and put these into a coherent framework. We propose to use the MOBIUS modelling platform, modify biogeochemical models, and calibrate and test these models using high-intensive datasets from forest sites in CZ, NO and SE.
The models will be used to simulate future changes in forests, soils and waters under various alternative scenarios of climate change, forest cover, and air pollution. The modelling results will be applied and scaled-up to CZ. Products will include maps and documentation on forest sensitivity, C pools and changes, and stewardship of national parks and other habitats.
Develop modelling software for carbon and nutrients in forest ecosystems
Apply the model tools to long-term monitored forest catchments in Czech Republic, Norway and Sweden
Apply tools for addressing future carbon in forested catchments – forests, soils, water
Produce predictive maps of sensitivity of forests soil carbon pools in the Czech Republic (year 2050) under different scenarios of the climate change (moderate and severe scenarios) and tree species composition
Most of the work scheduled for the first year of the project was completed despite complicated situation due to Covid 19.
Data from 14 GEOMON catchments (CGS, CZ), Norwegian catchments (NIVA), Šumava lakes (BC-HI, CZ) and Gardsjon experimental NITREX catchment (IVL, Sweden) were collated into the databases of measured precipitation chemistry, stream and lake water chemistry and runoff (hydrology). MOBIUS modelling platform was developed (hydrological model and forest growth models were added to central biogeochemical model MAGIC) and new processes including N and P cycling were also implemented. MOBIUS was partly tested and validated on Plešné lake dataset.
Soil sampling in Norway was very challenging. Some rain, lot of walks with heavy stuff for sampling. But beautiful Norwegian nature.
Why we did it? For comparison with central Europe and for modelling of the future soil carbon pools under different climatic scenarions. Will we have more or less soil carbon soon? And are we able to answer such complicated questions? We will do our best:-).
Soil samples were excavated in small catchments in Norway using the same method as in Czech Republic and Sweden. They will be used for soil carbon (and other elements) pools quantification. Monitoring of small forested catchments in Norway, Czech Republic and Sweden (when nitrogen addition experiment is running for 30 yeas) was continuing. Development of modelling platform MOBIUS, integrating hydrological, biogeochemical and forest growth models was finished. Using MOBIUS future carbon and nitrogen pools in forest soils will be estimated under diffrent scenarions of climate change, forest managent and nitrogen deposition.
The monitoring continued for 14 watersheds, including GEOMON (ČGS, CZ), Norwegian watersheds (NIVA, NO), Šumava Lakes (BC-HI, CZ), and the experimental watershed Gardsjon NITREX (IVL, Sweden). Chemical analyses of soils in Norwegian watersheds were completed in the laboratories of ČGS. A map of carbon content in forest soils in the Czech Republic was prepared, and work on scenarios for the future development of this resource was ongoing. Five articles were written, including 2 from NIVA, 1 from CGS, 1 from IVL, and 1 from BC-HI, all currently under review. Continuous measurements of NO3, DOC, and pH were initiated in the freshly bark beetle deforested Polomka watershed to capture short-term dynamics of NO3 leaching from damaged soils.
Kopáček J., Čapek P., Choma M., Cudlín P., Kaňka J., Kopáček M., Porcal P., Šantrůčková H., Tahovská K., Turek J. 2023. Long-term changes in soil composition in unmanaged central European mountain spruce forests after decreased acidic deposition and a bark beetle outbreak. Catena 222: 106839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2022.106839
Map of the present-day carbon pool in forest soils of the Czech Republic
Map at a scale 1 : 100 000 displaying the present-day (2015) carbon pool in forest soils (tonnes per hectare) down to 50 cm depth. The map will be produced based on the relationship between existing soil carbon pool data and environmental variables.
