G4MModel.PDFVIP

G4M Model Description of current model version The Global Forest Model (G4M) is applied and developed by IIASA (Kindermann et al. 2006; Gusti et al. 2008; Kindermann et al. 2008; Gusti 2010; Gusti 2010; Gusti and Kindermann 2011) and estimates the impact of forestry activities (afforestation, deforestation and forest management) on biomass and carbon stocks. By comparing the income of managed forest (difference of wood price and harvesting costs, income by storing carbon in forests) with income by alternative land use on the same place, a decision of afforestation or deforestation is made. As G4M is spatially explicit (currently on a 0.5° x 0.5° resolution) the different deforestation pressure at the forest frontier can also be handled. The model can use external information (like wood prices, prescribed land-use change from GLOBIOM) from other models or data bases, which guarantee food security and land for urban development or account for disturbances. As outputs, G4M produces estimates forest area change, carbon sequestration and emissions in forests, impacts of carbon incentives (e.g. avoided deforestation) and supply of biomass for bio-energy and timber. For Europe the initial forest growing stock (aboveground biomass) per grid cell was taken from the European forest biomass map from Gallaun et al. (Gallaun et al. 2010) and scaled to total biomass using the biomass map of Kindermann et al. (Kindermann et al. 2008). For countries outside Europe the original forest biomass map compiled by Kindermann et al. was used. The model handles age classes with one year width. Afforestation and disasters cause an uneven age-class distribution over a forest landscape. The model performs final cuts in a manner that all age classes have the same area after one rotation period. During this age class harmonization time the standing biomass, increment and amount of harvest is fluctuating due to c