Carbon sequestration and growth of six common tree and shrub shelterbelts in Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

Shelterbelts sequester and store atmospheric carbon as a direct result of the growth of trees and thus present an opportunity for climate change mitigation. The objectives of this paper were to quantify the growth characteristics and to estimate the carbon stocks of six common shelterbelt species in Saskatchewan: hybrid poplar, Manitoba maple, Scots pine, white spruce, green ash, and caragana. Growth curves (3PG) and carbon dynamics (CBM-CFS3) modelling approaches were used to simulate shelterbelt growth and to estimate the carbon stocks in 50 439 km shelterbelts containing the six species. Shelterbelt width ranged from 6.3 to 14.0 m, age ranged from 5 to 100 yr, and tree density ranged from 356 to 791 trees ha −1. The r 2 of the growth curve equations ranged from 28% to 97%, with <50% root-mean-square error and <30% bias. The total ecosystem carbon stocks of all shelterbelts of the six species in Saskatchewan were 10.8 Tg C (1 Tg C = 1 million Mg C), of which 3.77 Tg C was sequestered in the soil and shelterbelt biomass since 1990. The climate mitigation potential of the six shelterbelt species, ranging from 1.78 to 6.54 Mg C km −1 yr −1 , emphasized the important role that trees can have on the agricultural landscape to mitigate greenhouse gases (GHGs). Planting shelterbelt trees and shrubs on agricultural landscapes is an important strategy for mitigating GHGs.

Above- and Below-Ground Carbon Sequestration in Shelterbelt Trees in Canada: A Review

“…They found that those benefits were worth $140 million, the majority provided by carbon sequestration ($73 million), and soil erosion reduction ($15 million). Similarly, Amichev et al [20] studied carbon sequestration of six common shelterbelt species in Saskatchewan, planted from 1925 to 2009, and estimated that the carbon additions (through CO 2 sequestration) in shelterbelt systems since 1990 (equal to 3.77 Tg C) would be worth $208 million dollars at current carbon prices.…”

“…Because shelterbelts can improve their surrounding conditions through environmental services, they can also impact crop production by retaining soil moisture, slowing wind speed, shading areas beside the trees, and reducing soil loss [1,15,38]. Shelterbelts can increase monetary gains for landowners by increasing crop yield and/or saving on chemical applications [20,24,32]. Normally, these benefits can span up to a distance of 10 H on the leeward and 0-3 H on the windward side of the trees [38].…”

“…Schoeneberger [64] and Wang and Feng [65] values are already in hectares, and they considered that shelterbelts occupied 5 and 2.5% of the cropland area, respectively. [20] represent the area directly underneath the live shelterbelt tree crowns. For comparison purposes in this study, we assumed that the area of the shelterbelts in Amichev et al [20] represented 5% of the total farm area, similar to Schoeneberger [64].…”

“…[20] represent the area directly underneath the live shelterbelt tree crowns. For comparison purposes in this study, we assumed that the area of the shelterbelts in Amichev et al [20] represented 5% of the total farm area, similar to Schoeneberger [64]. b It was estimated that the area of shelterbelts represented 5% of the total farm area.…”

“…According to the Government of Canada, farmers in Western Canada have planted more than 600 million trees during the past century [18]. Just in Saskatchewan alone, the total length of shelterbelts equals to 60,633 km [19], sequestering around 4.85 Tg C in the past nine decades, more than half of which were sequestered since 1990 (3.77 Tg C) [20].…”