Ökad kollagring i boreal skog : Kan blädningsbrukad skog lagra mer kol än trakthyggesbrukad skog?

This study was conducted to test the hypotheses that a forest managed by selective cutting can store more carbon than a forest managed by clearcutting. The study was carried out as a meta-analysis. The data that was found was analyzed by performing t-tests on the proportional effect that the two silvicultural methods had on the driving factors of CO2-efflux and carbon stores in coniferous boreal forest. In all areas tested, an effect in favor of selective cutting was found, but not all of them significant however. The soil respiration following selective cutting was significantly lower than that of clearcutting, and the primary production of a clearcut area cannot according to reason exceed that of an area post-selective cutting. The result indicates that selective cutting increases boreal forest carbon storage in comparison to clearcutting. Hence, an increased use of selective cutting in boreal forests could help to mitigate climate change by reducing the CO2 content of the atmosphere. Key words: Boreal forest, carbon stores, CO2-efflux, silvicultural methods