Forest sink data for assessing forest carbon stock and sink according to the Kyoto Protocol: the example of Veneto Region (NE Italy)

Abstract

According to art. 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol, Italy has elected forest management as additional human-induced
activity to attain the goals of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In Italy the majority of areas covered by forest plans satisfy the definition of forest management proposed by the Marakesh Accords.
Using data collected with forest plans of Veneto Region (PILLI & ANFODILLO, 2006), aboveground forest carbon stock and sink of high forests were estimated using both the biomass expansion factors proposed by the IPCC Good Practice Guidance and general allometric equations (PILLI et al., 2006).
Results suggest that both methods can be directly applied to available data, if necessary integrated with specific
data collection. Moreover the proposed approach based on a functional allometric equation could be usefully applied instead of the default biomass expansion factors proposed by the IPCC.