Clarifying the carbon balance recovery time after clear-cutting

Abstract

Clear-cutting of forest is causing large emissions of carbon dioxide immediately after the clear-cutting and an important question is how fast the forest can achieve carbon balance (CB) again and how long time it takes until the initial losses are compensated for (CCP). This question is particularly important for the discussion on how to use forests most efficiently in the climate change mitigation work considering the short remaining time frame there is in order to achieve the targets according to the Paris agreement. Knowledge of how net ecosystem exchange (NEE) varies over time is also important for determination of time for optimal carbon sequestration (OCS).