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Carbon in United States Forests and Wood Products, 1987-1997: State-by-State Estimates
by Richard A. Birdsey & George M. Lewis

Rocky Mountain Region (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) Estimate for 1987-1997

Table 1. Area by land class (1000 ac).
Land class
1987
1992
1997
Average Annual Change
 
1987-1992
1992-1997
1987-1997
Timberland
57,609
62,155
66,701
909
909
909
Other forest land
61,440
57,539
53,637
-780
-780
-780
Reserved timberland
16,355
17,232
18,108
175
175
175
TOTAL
135,403
136,925
138,446
304
304
304
 
Table 2. Area of forest land by forest type (1000 ac).
Forest type
1987
1992
1997
Average Annual Change
 
1987-1992
1992-1997
1987-1997
Douglas-fir
17,933
19,292
20,650
272
272
272
Ponderosa pine
16,464
16,620
16,776
31
31
31
Western white pine
263
198
134
-13
-13
-13
Fir-spruce
16,131
17,704
19,277
315
315
315
Hemlock-Sitka spruce
1,504
1,541
1,578
7
7
7
Larch
1,817
1,374
932
-89
-89
-89
Lodgepole pine
14,550
14,445
14,341
-21
-21
-21
Redwood
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other Hardwoods
11,240
12,520
13,800
256
256
256
Other forest types
6,140
5,764
5,389
-75
-75
-75
Pinyon-juniper
45,314
45,039
44,764
-55
-55
-55
Chaparral
88
107
126
4
4
4
Non-stocked
3,961
2,321
680
-328
-328
-328
TOTAL
135,403
136,925
138,446
304
304
304
 
Table 3. Total carbon stock on forest land and annual change by forest type (MMTC).
Forest type
1987
1992
1997
Average Annual Change
 
1987-1992
1992-1997
1987-1997
Douglas-fir
1,484.0
1,594.7
1,691.7
22.15
19.40
20.78
Ponderosa pine
1,150.4
1,145.2
1,129.7
-1.04
-3.11
-2.07
Western white pine
64.4
44.2
21.3
-4.03
-4.57
-4.30
Fir-spruce
1,417.3
1,566.6
1,709.8
29.87
28.63
29.25
Hemlock-Sitka spruce
147.5
156.1
164.2
1.72
1.63
1.68
Larch
193.7
145.2
94.4
-9.71
-10.16
-9.93
Lodgepole pine
1,020.3
1,019.2
1,010.0
-0.22
-1.85
-1.04
Redwood
0.0
1.8
4.3
0.35
0.50
0.43
Other Hardwoods
739.5
837.0
900.8
19.50
12.76
16.13
Other forest types
428.7
397.6
367.4
-6.22
-6.03
-6.13
Pinyon-juniper
2,960.1
2,946.4
2,931.7
-2.75
-2.94
-2.85
Chaparral
6.5
7.0
7.6
0.11
0.11
0.11
Non-stocked
228.5
134.4
40.0
-18.82
-18.88
-18.85
TOTAL
9,840.9
9,995.4
10,072.9
30.90
15.50
23.20
 
Table 4. Total carbon stock on forest land and annual change by accounting component (MMTC).
Accounting component
1987
1992
1997
Average Annual Change
 
1987-1992
1992-1997
1987-1997
Biomass
2,626.7
2,673.7
2,720.2
9.4
9.3
9.4
Forest floor and coarse woody debris
2,343.2
2,369.7
2,390.7
5.3
4.2
4.8
Soils
4,496.1
4,516.1
4,536.4
4.0
4.1
4.0
Wood products and landfills
374.9
436.0
425.5
12.2
-2.1
5.1
TOTAL
9,840.9
9,995.4
10,072.9
30.9
15.5
23.2
 
Table 5. Total carbon stock on forest land and annual change by owner (MMTC).
Accounting component
1987
1992
1997
Average Annual Change
 
1987-1992
1992-1997
1987-1997
Biomass
5,079.9
5,255.1
5,408.2
35.0
30.6
32.8
Forest floor and coarse woody debris
2,785.1
2,518.4
2,249.5
-53.3
-53.8
-53.6
Soils
280.5
275.7
265.5
-0.9
-2.0
-1.5
Wood products and landfills
1,695.4
1,946.2
2,149.7
50.2
40.7
45.4
TOTAL
9,840.9
9,995.4
10,072.9
30.9
15.5
23.2
 
Table 6. Change in total carbon stock on forest land attributed to land use change (MMTC).
Owner group
1987
1992
1997
Average Annual Change
 
1987-1992
1992-1997
1987-1997
National Forest
0.0
-2.3
1.8
-0.5
0.8
0.2
Other Public
0.0
-5.3
-10.7
-1.1
-1.1
-1.1
Forest Industry
0.0
-4.7
-8.5
-0.9
-0.8
-0.9
Other Private
0.0
4.0
7.4
0.8
0.7
0.7
TOTAL
0.0
-8.3
-10.1
-1.7
-0.3
-1.0

 


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