Quantifying land use and disturbance intensity in forestry, based on the self-thinning relationship

摘要: Forest management and disturbances affect forest soils biomass carbon stocks, emissions to the atmosphere, radiative forcing. The conventional approaches quantifying intensity of land based on net primary productivity (NPP) are limited because they lack a sound ecological basis. These limitations especially evident for forests. This study proposes new way characterizing degree disturbance in stands that do not experience change classification, i.e., remain proposed index, called use (LUDI), uses relationship between stand density diameter at breast height relatively unmanaged/pristine baseline different schemes, conjunction with self-thinning relationship, calculate difference potential actual storage. LUDI distinguishes long short timescales associated disturbance. capacity sets it apart from NPP-based currently used quantify intensity. semi-qualitative validation approach demonstrate index reproduces textbook knowledge However, our quantitative adds insight into effects living stock. Further, data German national inventory were does require about scheme. Although is constrained aboveground biomass, we believe useful context broadening capability large-scale reconstruction through this understanding cycle, beyond deforestation afforestation.