Impacts of partial harvesting on the carbon and water balance of a mixed conifer forest attacked by the mountain pine beetle

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak has had a major impact on the carbon (C) and water balances of forests in Interior BC, Canada. As a management response, the forest sector has increased the annual allowable cut to enable partial harvesting in the timber supply areas. Protecting the non-pine secondary structure provides opportunities for mid-term (15-30 years) timber harvest, while providing habitat for wildlife, reducing run-off to rivers and streams and retaining stand biomass. This study investigates the effects of partial cutting on the CO₂ and H₂O fluxes and also compares it to clearcut harvesting. The study area is an MPB-attacked forest located near Summit Lake (54°13'N, 122°37'W) about 40 km north of Prince George, BC. In February and March 2009, the beetle-killed lodgepole pine trees (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) were removed, leaving 49% of secondary structure consisting mainly of black spruce (Picea mariana), white hybrid spruce (Picea engelmannii x glauca) and subalpine fir trees (Abies lasiocarpa) with a canopy height of ~16 m and a stand density of 535 stems ha^-1. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) has been continuously measured since October 2009 with the eddy-covariance technique using an ultrasonic anemometer and an open-path infrared gas analyzer mounted 26 m above the ground. This poster reports results for 2010, which was a relatively normal year in central BC with respect to solar radiation, precipitation and air temperature. During the growing season the stand was a C sink, with monthly total NEP values of up to 23.1 g C m^-2 in June. Midday evapotranspiration rates did not exceed 0.3 mm h^-1 with Bowen ratios usually greater than 1.5. By the end of the year the stand was a weak C source with an annual NEP of -50 g C m^-2. In comparison, clearcuts in the region remain C sources for many years during the growing season. Results for 2011 will also be presented and compared to flux measurements in part of the stand that was clearcut harvested.