Carbon storage assessment in Valle Camonica forest ecosystems: the first step to promote a local voluntary carbon market for climate change mitigation

Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) are currently developed worldwide. In Italy, the scientific aspects concerning the processes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and storage in forest ecosystems were investigated but, up to now, there are only few existing experiences that give an economic value to such processes. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose an innovative approach to estimate the total stored carbon in Valle Camonica (Lombardy Region) forest ecosystems, also taking into account stored carbon variation over time due to improved forest management practices. First results obtained show that living biomass (aboveground and belowground) is an important carbon pool because it can stock about the 80% of the total stored carbon (2.2•10^6 tons and 2.7•10^6 tons, respectively). To achieve a higher carbon storage, improved forest management practices, such as conversion of aged and/or abandoned coppice to tall trees and/or reduction of cutted wood biomass volume, can be adopted. Such additional stored carbon could be converted in carbon credits that could be certified and marketed in a local VCM, which is the starting point for a local low-carbon emissions economy. Moreover, with improved forest management practices, more wood biomass per hectare can be obtained. This additional biomass could be cut and used for energy purposes, supporting the reduction of fossil sources use and, thus, contributing to an indirect environmental local decarbonisation and a multifunctional forest resources utilization as well.