Carbon Sequestration Capacity Groups

Marginal Lands (MLs) as detected by MaiL Project were classified in Carbon Sequestration Capacity (CSC) Groups. The methodology based on multicriteria GIS analysis with data including tree species maps (Brus et al., 2011), land cover maps (Malinowski, et al., 2020) and Aboveground Biomass maps (Spawn, Sullivan, Lark, & Gibbs, 2020). The aim was to estimate potential suitable species for afforestation for each Marginal Land as well species’ Above Ground Biomass Carbon (AGBC) and proceed to classification into CSC groups.
In order to estimate CSC for MLs and classify in CSC groups, it is crucial to estimate potential suitable species for afforestation and their Aboveground Biomass Carbon. The MLs as calculated on Task 2.3 of MAIL project is the basemap, where the most frequent species from neighbor forested areas, both dominant 1 and 2 species, and species’ Aboveground Biomass Carbon values are assigned. Dominant 1 and 2 species of neighbor forested areas are adapted to the ecological and climatological conditions and therefore are considered to be the most suitable for afforestation projects. Through classification into CSC groups, we get a better understanding regarding the relative interconnections between groups and each one's potential trend.The frequency distribution of the formula’s results is presented in a histogram. Classification into CSC groups was done by manually defining classes ranges, in such a way so each class to cover approximately the same area across Europe, with the exception of higher and lower sequestration groups, Group A and Group E respectively. Group A represents higher sequestration MLs, covering 5% of Europe’s total MLs and on the other side Group E represents lower sequestration MLs covering 31% of Europe’s MLs.