Carbon sequestration with reforestations and biodiversity-scenic values
Author(s)	Caparrós A, Cerdá E, Ovando P, Campos P
Year	2010
Journal	Environmental and Resource Economics
Volume	(2010) 45:49-72
Languages	English
Study area	Los Alcornocales, SW Spain
Species	Eucalyptus spp., Quercus suber L.
Components	2, 4
Pilot Sites	Barbara, Chréa, Maamora, Siliana
Keywords	Optimal control; Forests; Carbon sequestration; Biodiversity; Scenic; Stated preferences; Carbon accounting
Abstract	This paper presents an optimal control model to analyze reforestations with two different species, including commercial values, carbon sequestration and biodiversity or scenic values. We discuss the implications of partial or total internalization of environmental values, showing that internalizing only carbon sequestration may have negative impacts on biodiversity-scenic values. To evaluate the practical relevance, we compare reforestations in the South-west of Spain with cork-oaks (a slow-growing native species) and with eucalyptus (a fast-growing alien species). We do the analysis with two different carbon crediting methods: the Carbon Flow Method and the Ton Year Accounting Method. With the first method, the forest surface increases more, but using mainly eucalyptus. With the second, additional reforestations are done mainly using cork-oaks. We value the impact on visitors of these reforestations using stated preferences methods showing that, when these values are internalized, cork-oaks are favored.