VM0005v1.2.pdf
VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 1 1. Approved VCS ology VM0005 Version 1.2, 23 July 2013 Sectoral Scope 14 ology for Improved Forest Management Conversion of Low Productive to High Productive Forest © 2013 Face the Future VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 2 Table of Contents 1 Sources . 3 2 Summary Description of the ology 3 3 Definitions . 5 4 Applicability Conditions . 5 5 Project Boundary 7 5.1 Land Eligibility and Geographic Boundaries 7 5.2 Temporal Boundaries 8 5.3 Carbon Pools . 8 5.4 Greenhouse Gases 9 6 Procedure for Determining the Baseline Scenario 10 7 Procedure for Demonstrating Additionality . 10 8 Stratification 10 9 Quantification of GHG Emission Reductions and Removals 11 9.1 Baseline Emissions 11 9.2 Project Emissions 36 9.3 Leakage . 45 9.4 Summary of GHG Emission Reduction and/or Removals . 48 10 Monitoring . 51 10.1 General 51 10.2 Monitoring of Regrowth in the Baseline Scenario 52 10.3 Monitoring of Project Implementation 66 10.4 Monitoring of Project Carbon Stock Changes and Greenhouse Gas Emissions . 67 11 Uncertainty and Quality Managment . 80 VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 3 1 SOURCES This ology is written to con with the VCS rules that apply to Improved Forest Management projects conversion of low-productive forests to high-productive forests LtHP and has been prepared by Silvestrum on behalf of Face the Future, both based in the Netherlands. The ology draws on elements from VCS ologies VM0007 and VM0011, and CDM ology AR-ACM0002. 2 SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE OLOGY This ology facilitates the quantification of the net GHG benefits of Improved Forest Management projects in natural Evergreen Tropical Rainforests that achieve carbon benefits in one of, or a combination of, two activities Avoiding emissions from re-logging of already logged-over forest; and, Rehabilitation of previously logged-over forest by cutting climbers and vines, or liberation thinning, or enrichment planting, or a combination of these activities. The baseline scenario therefore consists of a logged-over natural Evergreen Tropical Rainforest, normally with no or insignificant regrowth, that may or may not be relogged. To determine the emissions in the baseline, the following components are quantified volume of timber removed during relogging expanded to include emissions from total associated biomass losses; the amount of dead wood left after relogging; the carbon stored in harvested wood products; if absence of regrowth cannot be substantiated, regrowth of the residual stand; and, emissions associated with the establishment of infrastructure and fuel consumption. Because baselines often become counter factual once the project gets implemented, this ology facilitates the quantification of the above components in two ways On the basis of a-spatial data in a pre-relogging situation in the project area, in combination with, for instance, logging ination in a management plan; or, By the determination of the carbon stock components after relogging has occurred in a reference area for which similarity to the project area is demonstrated. The relationship between the two baseline options and the project area is then established by analyzing the logging rates in the various strata in the baseline, determining the same strata in the project area, and applying the stratum-specific logging rates to the strata in the project area. The ology allows for the use of both approaches together, if either of the two cannot be supported with a complete set of ination, with the following examples 1 While obtaining spatially explicit post-relogging carbon stock data from a reference area through direct measurements, spatially explicit pre-relogging data based on direct measurements may be lacking. Once the similarity of the reference area and the project area has been ensured, pre-relogging carbon stock data may also be obtained from the project area. 2 If spatially explicit pre-relogging carbon stock data based on direct measurements is lacking, similarity between the reference area and the project area may be justified by reconstructing pre-relogging carbon stocks from the post-relogging data of the reference area and VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 4 harvesting volumes from management files of the forest management unit, and comparing these with pre-relogging carbon stock data from the project area. The validity of reconstructed pre-relogging carbon stocks may be supported by other inventory data of the reference area eg, inventories of commercial timber prior to relogging, the supporting data being subject to the scrutiny of the validator. 3 While using a-spatial data for assessing baseline carbon stock changes, carbon stocks in dead wood may be derived from a reference area. While ensuring conservative results for net GHG project benefits, these options support the implementation of FM project activities in areas where data collection has not been organized in such a way that it facilitates compliance a priori with international carbon standards, which is very often the case. The with-project scenario constitutes the avoidance of relogging, or rehabilitation of previously logged- over forest, or both. Rehabilitation, if any, is achieved by cutting climbers and vines, or liberation thinning, or enrichment planting, or a combination of these activities. To determine the emissions and removals in the with-project scenario, the following components are quantified carbon stocks before the intervention; increases in carbon stocks over time; and emissions due to site preparation and project implementation. An additional feature of this ology is the determination of the regrowth of the residual forest in both the baseline and the with-project scenario. If regrowth occurs in the baseline scenario this is assumed to be small compared to regrowth in the with-project scenario. The removal of herbaceous vegetation including climbers and vines is deemed an insignificant emissions source and therefore is not accounted for in the with-project scenario. The ology also provides for the quantification of leakage. Finally, the ology provides for the determination of the project’s net GHG benefits and the resulting Verified Carbon Units VCUs that are generated. The ology details the steps necessary to come to the final calculation of the project’s net GHG benefits, represented by ∆C IFM . ∆C IFM ∆C BSL – ∆C WPS– ∆C LK1 Where Parameter Description ∆C IFMTotal net GHG emission reductions from the IFM project activity ∆C BSLSum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions under the baseline scenario ∆C WPSSum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions under the with-project scenario VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 5 ∆C LK Sum of the carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions due to leakage Thus, the basis of the ology is the estimation of total carbon benefits from the IFM project activity as the result of the total carbon loss in the baseline scenario ∆C BSL avoided due to the project activity and the net removals through the enhancement of forest growth due to liberation thinning and enrichment planting ∆C WPS , minus any leakage ∆C LK that might occur. Additionality Project Crediting Baseline Project 3 DEFINITIONS This ology does not use any ology-specific definitions. 4 APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS This ology is applicable to Improved Forest Management IFM activities, as defined by the VCS rules. Only areas that have been designated, sanctioned or approved for such activities eg, as logging concessions by the national or local regulatory bodies are eligible for crediting under this VCS Improved Forest Management IFM category. In particular, this ology is applicable to improved forest management practices that achieve the conversion of low-productive forest to high-productive forest LtHP through the protection of logged- over, degraded forest from further logging or the adoption of silvicultural techniques increasing the density of tree vegetation, or a combination of these activities. This ology is applicable to situations whereby the original forest is natural Evergreen Tropical Rainforest, using the FAO definition where the term “Evergreen Tropical Rainforest” is defined as follows “Evergreen Tropical Rainforests occur where the annual rainfall is greater than 2,500 mm, where forests grow mostly at low elevations, are evergreen, luxuriant, predominantly of hardwood species, have a complex structure and are rich in both plants and animals. Soils tend to be mustow and poor in nutrients, features having a marked effect on forest management practices.” 1The applicability conditions for this ology are the following Project activities aim at the avoidance of relogging of logged-over, degraded natural Evergreen 1Source http//www.fao.org/docrep/W8212E/w8212e03.htma definition of tropical forests VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 6 Tropical Rainforest, or the rehabilitation of logged-over natural Evergreen Tropical Rainforest through direct human intervention such as cutting of climbers and vines, liberation thinning and/or enrichment planting, or a combination of these activities; Land within the project area must have qualified as forest; In the baseline, the logged-over forest in the project area is unlikely to revert to normal regrowth patterns due to vines and climbers, which may include climbing bamboos, resulting from high- intensity logging operations in the past. In such cases, and subject to appropriate substantiation, regrowth of tree biomass before and following relogging in the baseline can be assumed to be zero. Where this is not the case, ex-ante estimates of regrowth must be made and monitoring of the baseline for ex-post confirmation of regrowth rates must be conducted; The soil carbon pool within the project boundary is either in a steady state at project commencement, or, if not, the soil carbon pool is only expected to increase more or decrease less in the with-project scenario in comparison to the baseline, and may therefore, conservatively be omitted; 2 Site preparation is carried out so as to avoid levels of soil disturbance or soil erosion sufficient to significantly reduce the soil carbon pool over the project lifetime; The use of nitrogen fertilizer in the project activities is prohibited; During the project crediting period, harvesting must not occur in the with-project scenario 3 . Biomass burning, fuel gathering, removal of litter, or removal of dead wood do not occur in the baseline scenario and in the with-project scenario within the project boundary; A reference area may be used to derive relevant parameter values for the baseline scenario. This area must be of similar size as the project area, or larger ie, 75 of the project area or more, for which similarity with the project area can be demonstrated using criteria outlined in this ology, and for which it can be demonstrated that the management is not affected by its selection as a reference area; and, Flood irrigation or drainage of primarily saturated soils are not permitted as part of the project activity, so associated non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions can be neglected. There is no peatland 4within the project area or emissions associated with peatland are not significant. The ology is not applicable to grouped projects. 2Project proponents must use the A/R CDM approved tool 6 to demonstrate insignificance. 3If harvesting is planned or expected to occur after the project crediting period, the associated carbon sink reversal will be addressed in the non-permanence risk assessment. 4See VCS definition. VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 7 5 PROJECT BOUNDARY 5.1 Land eligibility and Geographic boundaries No land use change is occurring in the project area it is forest land remaining forest land. Where the activity takes place in a country that has adopted a forest definition under the Kyoto Protocol, those thresholds must be adhered to. Otherwise, the definition used in the national GHG Inventory must be used. Only areas that have been designated, sanctioned or approved for such activities eg, as logging concessions or plantations by the national or local regulatory bodies are eligible for crediting under the VCS Improved Forest Management IFM category. This will be determined according to the legally sanctioned logging laws, regulations and codes of practice of the relevant national or sub-national regulatory authority. These laws may be defined in absolute terms hectares or via prescription relative per cent. Areas within the project area, where logging has been prohibited due to environmental, cultural or other reasons, must be determined through maps and spatial analysis and be excluded from the estimations of emission reductions or removals. The boundary of the IFM activity must be clearly delineated and defined and include only land qualifying as “forest”. Project proponents must clearly define the spatial boundaries of a project so as to facilitate accurate measuring, monitoring, accounting, and verifying of the project’s emissions reductions and removals. The IFM project activity may contain more than one discrete area of land. Each discrete area of land must have a unique geographical identification. When describing physical project boundaries for both the project areas and, if any, the reference area, the following ination must be provided per discrete area Name of the project area including compartment numbers, local name if any Unique identifier for each discrete parcel of land Maps of the area in digital at Geographic coordinates obtained from a GPS or from a geo-referenced digital map Total land area Details of forest land rights holder and user rights Following the VCS definition of market leakage, the geographic boundaries for leakage from market effects are those of the country in which the project area occurs. In this ology, the project area the geographic area in which the project activity is implemented may exceed the area eligible for carbon accounting, ie, the forest area protected against relogging, rehabilited, or both. This may exclude areas that do not contain merchantable timber and/or that are inaccessible for legislative, technical or economic reasons. A justification for the in- or exclusion of VM0005, Version 1.2 Sectoral Scope 14 Page 8 areas within the project area must be provided in the project description of the actual project applying this ology. A reference area is an area that is representative of the project area in the baseline scenario and thus meets the criteria set out by the applicability conditions minimum size and those elaborated b