Changes in carbon storage and oxygen production in forest timber biomass of Balci Forest Management Unit in Turkey between 1984 and 2006

Abstract

Decrease in forest areas world wide and the damaging of its structures is hazardous to human health, hinders and dries up the spread of oxygen in the air and also destroys carbon storage. In recent years, global warming and changes in climates depending on the increase in the green house gases have been affecting the whole world. The solution seeking, initiated in the international arena with various treaties and processes, has shown itself around the world and in our country as the concept of
planning and operation of the forest sources. During the recent ten years in Turkey, in forest management plans, the capacity of carbon storage and the amount of oxygen production by the forest were initiated to be calculated in the planning unit scale. The first forest management plans were prepared and put into force in 1972 in Turkey, where the planned forestry began in 1963. During the period of more than 30 years, neither the structural changes in forests nor their values regarding other
functions have been examined enough. In this article, using Balcý Forest Management Units in Borçka Township of Artvin, forests are studied regarding their growing stocks, timber increments, their capacities of carbon storage and oxygen production. The basic management unit scale in the study is standard and the evident standard parameters are tree species, mixture and age class. Balcý Management Unit underwent attacks from bark beetles in the past. After the mechanical struggle, there
have been structural changes in forest ecosystem and the potentials of forests have varied both in quality and quantity. Changes in forest ecosystems during that time, not only through natural ways but
also through human activities, have been shaping the oncoming forestry practices.