Which rotation length is favourable to carbon sequestration?

Regulating the rotation length of tree stands is an effective way to manage the carbon budget of forests. We analyzed, using models, how a 30-year cha nge in rotation length from the recommended 90 years would change the carbo n and energy budgets of typical wood-production and wood-use chains in Finl and. Shortening the rotation length towards the culmination age of mean ann ual increment decreased the carbon stock of trees but increased the carbon stock of soil, because the production of litter and harvest residues increa sed. Changes in the carbon stock of wood products varied with tree species depending on volumes and timber sorts harvested, manufacturing processes an d products manufactured. The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) chain stored the largest total amount of carbon when applying the longest rotation lengt h and the Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) chain, when applying the shortest rotation length. Fossil carbon emissions and energy use in harvest ing and manufacture increased when the rotation length was shortened and pu lpwood harvests increased, especially in the spruce chain. We concluded tha t longer rotation length at the sites of both tree species would be favoura ble to carbon sequestration. The costs of this would be decreased timber ha rvests and decreased revenues of landowners. Our results demonstrate the im portance of accounting for the whole wood-production and wood-use chain, in cluding fossil carbon emissions, when analysing the effects of rotation len gth on forest carbon sequestration.