Assessment and potential analysis of forest carbon sinks in the Western China

The forest is not only an important part of the earth's biosphere,but also an important regulator to maintain the balance of natural ecosystems. As an important strategic resource repository and ecological security barrier,the Western China has become one of important positions of forest carbon sinks. Using the forest stock volume expansion method,this paper estimated the amount of forest biomass carbon sinks and the aggregate amount of forest carbon from 1994 to 2013 in China's western region,the results showed that there were both growing trends for them,they were 42.4413×108t and 103.5567×108t until 2013. And the amount of forest biomass carbon sinks and the aggregate amount potential forest carbon sequestration will be 40.85574×108 t and 1.56704×108 t in 2015,53.1227×108 t and 13.8339×108 t in 2020,60.0514×108 t and 20.7627×108 t in 2050,respectively. But compared with the international average,the western forest carbon sinks is still low,then there is absolutely a need for improving the forestry carbon sinks management level,building the western market system of the forest carbon sinks,improving the regional forest ecological compensation mechanism,deepening the reform of forestry property right system and so on,to further enhance the forest carbon sink capacity of the western region in China.