An integrated assessment model of carbon sequestration benefits: a case study of Liping county, China

J Environ Manage. 2007 Nov;85(3):757-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.08.020. Epub 2006 Dec 18.

Abstract

This research attempts to model the complexity of planting trees to increase China's CO(2) sequestration potential by using a GIS-based integrated assessment (IA) approach. We use the IA model to assess the impact of China's Grain for Green reforestation and afforestation program on farmer and state incomes as well as CO(2) sequestration in Liping County, Guizhou Province. The IA model consists of five sub-models for carbon sequestration, crop income, timber income, Grain for Green, and carbon credits. It also includes a complementary qualitative module for assessing program impacts by gender and ethnicity. Using four scenarios with various assumptions about types of trees planted, crop incomes by township, CO(2) credit prices, state subsidies, methods for estimating carbon sequestered, and harvesting of trees, we find great variation in the impact of the Grain for Green program on incomes and on carbon sequestered over a 48 year period at both the county and township levels.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon / metabolism*
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
  • China
  • Conservation of Natural Resources* / economics
  • Conservation of Natural Resources* / methods
  • Crops, Agricultural* / economics
  • Crops, Agricultural* / growth & development
  • Data Collection
  • Ecosystem*
  • Environmental Monitoring* / economics
  • Environmental Monitoring* / methods
  • Ethnicity
  • Family Characteristics
  • Forestry* / economics
  • Forestry* / methods
  • Geography
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Poverty
  • Rural Population
  • Sex Distribution
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Carbon