Impactul schimbării modului de utilizare a terenurilor asupra stocurilor și emisiilor de carbon

Abstract

The article presents the results of the GHG emissions/removals recorded in 1990-2015 within Sector 4 ”LULUCF” comprising 6 land use categories (4A ”Forest Land”; 4B ”Cropland”; 4C ”Grassland”; 4D ”Wetlands”; 4E ”Settlements”; 4F ”Other lands”), and the category 4G ”Harvested Wood Products”. During 1990-2015, the dynamics of net CO2 removals from this sector showed a significant downward trend, except for the period from 1991 to 2001, when the sector indicators have been rising. Compared to the reference year, net CO2 removals from Sector 4 "LULUCF" decreased in 2015 by about 50.6%. Main sources of emission reductions area forest lands, grasslands and forest vegetation within cropland, in particular sub-categories: 4A1”Forest Land Remaining Forest Land”, 4C2”Land Converted to Grassland” and 4B1 ”Cropland Remaining Cropland”. Categories: 4B2 „Land Converted to Cropland”, 4E2 „Land Converted to Settlements”and 4F2 „Land Converted to Other Land” are a constant source of CO2 emissions as a result of the profound negative balance resulting from the conversion of land with different vegetation cover, as well as essential reduction (by about 38.6%) of the area of multiannual plantations. This situation is mainly caused by the changes in land use and management of croplands (Category 4B), which have contributed to a considerable reduction of soil organic carbon reserves in agricultural lands, thus changing the positive balance of humus in negative one and/or profound negative. This process was also influenced by some changes in forest management and use (Category 4A), such as the increase in authorized wood harvesting volumes, the substantial increase in the volume of illegal logging, the intensification of the conversion of agricultural land into forest land, etc. According to a number of strategic documents and national policies, measures are focused on the reduction of GHG emissions that focus primarily on improving the management of different land categories with direct consequences on carbon footprint.