A Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Balance for a Forest Company Operating in Northeast North America

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon stock changes projected over 100 years were quantified for a company managing 2.2 Mha of forest in northeast North America. From 2010 to 2015, company forest operations, sawmills, and pulp/paper mills were forecast to contribute 21, 4, and 75%, respectively, of total emissions. Forest and products were forecast to result in an increasing cumulative net GHG (sequestration minus emissions) sink to 30.7 [dagger] CO sub(2)e ha super(-1) at year 50, but as harvest levels increased, emissions exceeded sequestration by year 85, reaching a GHG source of 6.4 [dagger] CO sub(2)e ha super(-1) by year 100. After 100 years, the ratio of forest product storage to all emission pools was 0.58, 0.84 if grid electricity was hydrogenerated, or 2.7 if pulpwood was redirected for bioenergy. Determining the GHG mitigation potential of forest products requires inclusion of wood, paper, bioenergy, and manufacturing emissions and consideration of natural disturbances, leakage, and avoided emissions. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]