Assessment of Carbon Emission from Teak Forest Operations : A Case Study of Mae Mai Forest Plantation, Lampang Province

Abstract

The research on carbon emissions from operations in teak plantations is currently limited. The objective of this research was to estimate the quantity of carbon emissions from silvicultural practices and logging operations in the Mae Mai teak plantation area of Lampang province.

The researchers collected data related to activities and quantified the energy consumption and carbon emissions. The amount of greenhouse gases was converted into carbon dioxide equivalent by multiplying with the respective global warming potential of each greenhouse gas type.

This study estimated the carbon emissions from silvicultural activities in the Mae Mai teak plantation, Lampang province over a 30-year rotation period. It was found that the carbon emissions from these activities amounted to 49,478 KgCO₂eq/rai. The activity with the highest carbon emissions during the rotation period was weed control using brush saw, followed by site preparation using bulldozers. The activity with the lowest carbon emissions was organic fertilizing. The first year of rotation cycle had the highest carbon emissions. In terms of logging activities, the total carbon emissions amounted to 3,470 KgCO₂eq/m³. The activity with the highest carbon emissions was skidder extraction emitting 1.619 KgCO₂eq/m³. On the other hand, the activity with the lowest carbon emissions was bucking, emitting 0.153 KgCO₂eq/m³. Therefore, implementing modern technologies in forest management can help reduce carbon emissions. Selecting appropriate machinery based on the terrain and distance should also be considered in order to effectively manage a forest.