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Abstract:
A variety of mechanisms have been identified that may result in late-successional declines in forest biomass, including synchronous mortality of even-aged early-successional cohorts, increased susceptibility of mature forests to wind or insect damage, and, in some systems, reduced stature of late-successional species. We used data from the United States (US) Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, and a literature database on old-growth biomass, to quantify late-successional biomass trajectories in different US forest types. Our results suggest that late-successional biomass declines are rare in US forests. Thus, in most cases, there is no conflict between maximizing carbon storage in forest biomass and protecting or restoring old-growth forests.
