Tree Carbon Stock Changes under Thinning in Conifer Plantations: Insights from the Credit River Watershed
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Thinning is an important forest management practice that affects stand structure and carbon dynamics. This study examined how thinning intensity and recovery period affect carbon stock and stand characteristics in coniferous plantations in the Credit River Basin of southern Ontario. Thinning enhances the ecological health and carbon sequestration potential of forests by changing competition and promoting growth. Stand structure variables such as tree diameter and height have a positive effect in driving carbon stock. Light thinning showed the greatest potential for increasing carbon stock, balancing resource availability and promoting growth. The results showed that thinning indirectly affected carbon accumulation by changing stand structure, and light thinning was the most suitable thinning intensity, primarily through its effect on large-diameter softwoods and hardwoods trees. The huge carbon stock contributed by large trees retained during thinning supports the adoption of irregular shelterwood systems and long-term monitoring and balanced forest management methods, which is of great significance for improving carbon stock and forest resilience in CVC coniferous plantations.
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