Forests, Acidification and the Socio-economic Cost Modeling damage- and mitigation cost of forest soil acidification

摘要

The ongoing acidification of forest soils, believed to cause a severe impact on the ecosystem, is one of Sweden's major environmental problems. The objective of this study is to elucidate if mitigate a future impact of acidification is economically worthwhile. The total economic value of resources affected by forest soil acidification is estimated. The impact of acidification on different values is also analysed. Furthermore, the amount of forested area, acidified due to anthropogenic activities, is explored. Finally, a model is developed to analyse how a future impact may affect the timber production in a forest stand. The results of this study show that the total economic value of resources affected by forest soil acidification amounts to 65 billion SEK annually. The total forest area in southern Sweden, acidified due to anthropogenic activities, is estimated to 5 million hectares. The abatement cost, if liming is undertaken, is estimated to at least 7.5 billion SEK with a lasting time of 20-40 years. The model suggests that a minor decrease in forest production would result in a significant loss of value. The overall conclusion suggests that there is a significant risk of a future cost, many times higher than the present cost of mitigating the acidification.