Forest management effects on mobilization of soil carbon to surface waters

Summary

Large areas (up to 20%) of the Swedish forest land have been artificially drained by ditching during the past centuries to increase timber production. When these ditches age, ditch cleaning must often be conducted in order to maintain high timber productivity. For other areas no production increase has occurred. These areas have recently been suggested as potential areas for restoration to their “natural state” as wetlands, as a way to improve biodiversity and mitigate hydrological floods or droughts. This project will focus on the surface water effects of these two forest management operations, ditch cleaning (DC) and wetland restoration (WR). There is currently limited information on how DC and WR operations affects the amount and composition of terrestrial carbon (C) being exported to surface waters.

Forest management carbon isotopes