Mediterranean pine forests: management effects on carbon stocks

Abstract

Carbon stored in forest systems is of great interest from a management point of view since, on the one hand,it is easily modified through silvilcultural practices (e.g.,rotation length,thinning, etc.), while,on the other hand, it affects the mean lifespan of wood products.In the Mediterranean area, the role of forest as carbon sinks is particularly significant since usually ecosystem services provided by forests are frequently of greater value than their direct productions.Therefore,quantifying the carbon balance in forests ís one of the main challenges if carbon fixation is to be considered amongst the objectives of forest management (Montero et al., 2005).