Intensified forestry as a climate mitigation measure alters surface water quality in low intensity managed forests

ABSTRACT

Climate change has led to a focus on forest management techniques to increase carbon (C) sequestration as a mitigation measure. Fertilisation and increased removal of biomass have been proposed. But these and other forest practices may have undesirable effects on surface water quality. In naturally acid-sensitive areas such as much of Fennoscandia a concern is acidification due to acid deposition in combination with forest practices that increase the removal of base cations and leaching of nitrate (NO₃). Here we apply the biogeochemical model MAGIC to the coniferous-forested catchment at Birkenes, southernmost Norway, to simulate the effects of forest fertilisation and harvest on soil and streamwater. The model was calibrated to the 40-year data for water quality, soil and vegetation and then used to simulate fertilisation and clearcutting of the mature forest by either conventional stem-only harvest (SOH) or whole-tree harvest (WTH). The 5 – 10-year pulse of NO₃ following clearcut was larger with SOH than WTH. WTH causes larger acidification of surface water relative to SOH, due to greater depletion of base cations, N and C from the soil. The use of forestry as a climate mitigation measure should take into consideration the potential effects on soil and surface water quality.