How Forests Store Carbon

This article contains links to resources for woodland owners and managers. The Forest Owner Carbon and Climate Education Program and the Pennsylvania State University produced the resources. To access the resource or article, simply click on the links below. Hard copies of the documents are available for purchase.

Introduction

Forests act as natural carbon sinks through photosynthesis, but the amount of carbon they store is directly related to the health and management practices of that forest. To understand how forests store carbon, it is important to explore the different carbon pools and understand how management impacts them. This article provides links to a series of articles that help break down this complex topic. 

Forest Carbon Management

Forest Carbon Pools: Where are they?
This article provides an overview of the locations of carbon pools in a forest.

How to Manage Forests for Carbon
This article introduces readers to carbon management strategies for different types of forest conditions on private lands.

Methods for Estimating Carbon Within Forests
This article provides an introduction to some of the computational methods used by forestry professionals to estimate carbon in trees and in the understory. 

Some Surprising Aspects of Climate Change on Eastern US Forests
In this article Dr. Marc Abrams, Penn State Professor of Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology, shares aspects of climate change and its impact on eastern forests learned over the course of his 40 year career.

Carbon Accounting in Forest Management
This article describes how the rate of carbon sequestration in a forest changes over time and how baselines and harvesting are accounted for in carbon accounting.

Forest Carbon Incentives

Carbon Markets 101
This article provides an introduction to forest carbon programs and markets.

The Economic Value of Private Forests and Climate Change Mitigation
This article discusses some of the economic values associated with carbon and climate change mitigation on private forests, and where investments should go next.

How much should I be paid for forest carbon?
This article introduces ways to think about payment offers regarding opportunity costs and management objectives.

Conversions Commonly Used When Comparing Timber and Carbon Values
This article highlights common units of measure used in timber and carbon quantification and explains how to convert values between units.

Planning for Climate-Smart Forestry

Long-Term Financial Planning for Timber and Carbon
This article explains how to make financial estimates for both timber and carbon in two scenarios: reforestation and a delay in harvest.

What should I think about before signing a forest carbon contract?
This article will help readers understand what to consider for their own forest management and financial objectives, and which details and clauses are essential in a carbon contract.

Questions to Ask Before Joining a Carbon Program
This short article outlines some important questions that landowners should know the answers to before joining a carbon program.

Case Study 1: Two Landowners' Experiences with Carbon Payment Programs
This article describes the experiences of two Pennsylvanian forest landowners considering more than one carbon program.

Case Study 2: Three Landowners' Experiences with Climate-Smart Forest Programs
This article describes the experiences of three forest landowners selling forest carbon in Pennsylvania and Mississippi. 

If you have any questions or are interested in collaborating with FOCCE, please reach out to Melissa Kreye at mxk1244@psu.edu.

To learn more, please visit the Forest Owner Carbon and Climate Education Program (FOCCE) website

*Calvin Norman co-authored previous versions of this article.