Biogenic carbon stock

Biogenic carbon stock refers to the amount of carbon stored in biological systems—primarily in living biomass, dead organic matter, soil, and biobased products. It plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle and climate mitigation strategies.

🌱 Components of Biogenic Carbon Stock

According to Springer’s framework, biogenic carbon stock is typically divided into two main categories:

1. Land-Based Pools:
   
   

   • Above-ground biomass: Trees, shrubs, crops

   • Below-ground biomass: Roots

   • Dead organic matter: Fallen leaves, deadwood

   • Soil organic carbon: Carbon stored in soil layers

2. Product-Based Pools:
   
   

   • Harvested wood products (HWPs): Lumber, furniture, paper

   • Biochar and other long-lived biogenic materials

These stocks represent temporary or long-term carbon storage, depending on the material’s durability and end-of-life treatment.

🏙️ Urban Timber as Biogenic Carbon Stock

A study in Santiago, Chile conceptualized timber buildings as a “Second Forest,” showing that urban wood structures can store significant biogenic carbon over decades. For example:

• Timber buildings expanded by 192,831 m² in eight years.

• Biogenic carbon storage increased by 10.84 kilotonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

This highlights the potential of circular timber practices and urban planning to enhance carbon sequestration.

⚠️ Challenges in Assessment

• No universally accepted life cycle assessment (LCA) method for tracking changes in biogenic carbon stocks, especially in soil and dead organic matter.

• Carbon neutrality of biomass cannot be assumed a priori—it depends on feedstock origin, processing, and end use.