Quantification of biomass availability for wood harvesting and storage in the continental United States with a carbon cycle model

• Published in: Carbon balance and management Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 34 - 11
• Main Authors: Hausmann, Henry, Cai, Qixiang, Zeng, Ning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 28.09.2024; Springer Nature B.V; BMC
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Availability; Biomass; Carbon; Carbon cycle; Carbon cycle modeling; Carbon dioxide; Carbon removal; Carbon storage; Constraints; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecosystems; Emissions; Environment; Environmental Management; Forestry; Greenhouse gases; Land conservation; Land use; Net Primary Productivity; Primary production; Underground storage; United States; Wood; Wood Harvesting and Storage; United States > US; Carbon cycle modeling; Carbon removal; United States; Carbon storage; Forestry; Wood Harvesting and Storage
• ISSN: 1750-0680; 1750-0680
• DOI: 10.1186/s13021-024-00270-4

Background Wood Harvesting and Storage (WHS) is a form of Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) that utilizes a combined natural and engineered process to harvest woody biomass and put it into long term storage, most frequently in the form of subterranean burial. This paper aims to quantify the availability of woody biomass for the purposes of WHS in the continental United States using a carbon cycle modeling approach. Using a regional version of the VEGAS terrestrial carbon cycle model at 10 km resolution, this paper calculates the annual woody net primary production in the continental United States. It then applies a series of constraints to exclude woody biomass that is unavailable for WHS. These constraints include fine woody biomass, current land use, current wood utilization, land conservation, and topographical limitations. These results were then split into state by state and regional totals. Results In total, the model projects the continental United States could produce 1,274 MtCO 2 e (CO 2 equivalent) worth of coarse woody biomass annually in a scenario with no anthropogenic land use or constraints. In a scenario with anthropogenic land use and constraints on wood availability, the model projects that 415 MtCO 2 e of coarse woody biomass is available for WHS annually. This is enough to offset 8.5% of the United States’ 2020 greenhouse gas emissions. Of this potential, 20 MtCO 2 e is from the Pacific region, 77 MtCO 2 e is from the Western Interior, 91 MtCO 2 e is from the Northeast region, and 228 MtCO 2 e is from the Southeast region. Conclusion There is enough coarse woody biomass available in the continental United States to make WHS a viable form of carbon removal and storage in the country. There is coarse woody biomass available across the continental United States. All four primary regions analyzed have enough coarse woody biomass available to justify investment in WHS projects.