Carbon Flux Forest Model Extended to Multiple Species and Forest Management Practices: Data and Validation

Drawing from the work of De Rosa et al. (2017) we present our study done to extend the modelling of forest management, and the calculation of life cycle inventories for forest products, to a wide range of forest plantations and species. The use of the model is intended for the modelling of biobased products, which is then enabled and enhanced by the extension of the model and associated input data.

The model allows to generate a time-specific, dynamic flux inventory of carbon flows for a specific forest and express this impact using different climate impact metrics (both Global Warming Potential – GWP and Global Temperature Potential - GTP). However, previous published and available versions of the model only allowed the modelling of two species: Spruce and Eucalyptus, a long-rotation and a short-rotation one respectively. The present work documents the effort made to extend the input data of the model. This allows model simulations of a wide range of plant species and those commonly cultivated in Europe, as well as management practices.

We show the approach used to fill data gaps, that were substantial as no database was found to consistently report information about growth rates, rotation times, and thinning practices of different species and these had to be retrieved and aligned manually. Furthermore, we show results of a sensitivity analysis performed on the model results obtained from the simulation
of several species, indicating that not surprisingly carbon content, density, and rotation time are highly sensitive parameters. A validation of the model is also presented - for selected species. Finally, we present a discussion on the correct use of the results and the linking with LCA software, specifically for the choice of environmental exchanges to be considered when modelling
biogenic carbon uptake and release. We also document the improvements made to the user interface, as part of the effort in making the model user friendly and enhance interoperability by enabling import of resulting inventories in common LCA software. The work was conducted as part of the ALIGNED project (www.alignedproject.eu) on harmonisation of LCA methods for the assessment of biobased products.