Fire and the Distribution and Uncertainty of Carbon Sequestered as Aboveground Tree Biomass in Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks store approximately 45 teragrams (Tg) of carbon in aboveground tree biomass, with Yosemite holding around 25 Tg (CI: 23–27 Tg) and Sequoia & Kings Canyon about 20 Tg (CI: 18–21 Tg). The study, using detailed species-specific allometric equations, high-accuracy vegetation maps, and Monte Carlo simulations, found that low to moderate-severity fires had minimal impact on landscape-scale carbon storage, while high-severity fires did not immediately reduce carbon stocks significantly. Despite advancements in data accuracy, uncertainties—primarily due to vegetation type mismatches and limitations in allometric equations for large trees—remain above 10%. The research underscores the need for improved landscape classification methods, refined allometric equations, and better understanding of carbon accounting uncertainties to support policy-making.

Lutz, J., Matchett, J., Tarnay, L., Smith, D., Becker, K., Furniss, T., & Brooks, M. (2017). Fire and the Distribution and Uncertainty of Carbon Sequestered as Aboveground Tree Biomass in Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Land, 6(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/land6010010