Aboveground carbon dynamics following strip clear-cutting in the Peruvian Amazon

Aboveground carbon dynamics were estimated in two strips (30 m × 150 m) clear-cut in the Peruvian Amazon following 15 years after clearing. While strip 1 recovered 50 % (64 Mg C ha −1 ) of its pre-clearing carbon stocks, the clear-cut portion of strip 2 recovered 39 % (53 Mg C ha −1 ). During this period, there were high carbon sequestration rates (>6 Mg C ha −1 year −1 ) from tree growth and low carbon emission rates from tree mortality (up to 3 Mg C ha −1 year −1 ) in both strip 1 and the clear-cut portion of strip 2. Recruits make up most of the tree composition in both strips, and therefore play an important role in carbon sequestration. However, there were high carbon emission rates from timber harvesting and processing (>20 Mg C ha −1 year −1 ). A thinning treatment, applied 7 years after clearing, did not affect carbon dynamics. In the 15-year period total carbon emissions (+) were greater than sequestration (−). Net carbon fluxes for strip 1 and the clear-cut portion of strip 2 were +26 and +68 Mg C ha −1 . Comparable carbon dynamics were found in the deferment-cut treatment, applied to the south half of strip 2. To conclude, the 15 year-old clear-cut strips are not carbon sinks yet, and will require >140 years to reach old-growth carbon stocks.