CARВON ABSORPTION ABILITY OF PINE FOREST PLANTATIONS IN VOLYN POLISSYA

Abstract

According to the signed climate Paris Agreement, Ukraine is faced with the task to prevent the global average air temperature from rising above 2°C in order to avoid an increase in droughts, extinction of certain species of plants and animals, drying up and diseases of tree species, etc. To preserve and increase the number of natural carbon sinks, scientists pay attention in particular to the system of improving forest, soil, and other natural resources management. Among thirty main forest-forming species in Ukraine, Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.) is the predominant tree species, in Volyn Polissya, in particular, its amount is 484.1 thousand hectares, which is 57 % of all tree plantations. To establish the carbon absorption capacity of pine plantations of Volyn Polissya, we have laid temporary test squares (CCIs) in state-owned enterprises: Volyn Forest Breeding and Seed Center, Volodymyr-Volyn Forestry hunting enterprise; Kovel Forestry; Lyubomlske Forestry; Manevichi Forestry; Specialized Forestry Agricultural Enterprise (SLAP) Rozhyscheagrolis; Turian Forestry. According to the methods of P. I. Lakida, A. A. Storochinsky, O. I. Poluboyarynova, A. S. Atkin, A. I. Kobzar, we established a phytomass of pine plantations in a completely dry state and obtained conversion coefficients that made it possible to estimate the difference between CO2 emissions and carbon sequestration. According to the analysis of the distribution of areas of forest land areas for pine plantations in Volyn Polissya, the overwhelming majority is occupied by pine forests of IV category (operational), their share is 72 %, and thus their carbon absorption capacity is higher. It was found that the pine forests of Volyn Polissya annually absorb from 9,0-16,0 thousand tonnes of carbon from the air, which is approximately 0,6–3,2 % of the annual carbon emissions into the atmospheric air, which in turn has a positive environmental impact on the research area.

Keywords

• pine plantations
• phytomass
• forest categories
• conversion factors
• carbon sequestration