Estimation of Forest Carbon Densities Using Sample Plots for Development of Forest Reference Level in Vietnam

REDD+ is an international mechanism to reduce emissions and/or enhance removals of greenhouse gases from forest related activities, such as deforestation and forest degradation. To be able to receive result-based payment from REDD+, developing countries need to build and submit to UNFCCC a forest reference level (FRL) with the use of historical forest data. Calculation of carbon densities, together with uncertainties is an important step for development of FRL. In this work, data of 2,098 primary sample plots collected under Cycle IV of the National Forest Inventory, monitoring and assessment programme were verified, corrected and standadized. Based on a new method for screening data and newly developed country-specific allometric equations, carbon densities and their uncertainties were calcualted for each forest type per agro-ecological regions. The results of this work are recommended to be utilized to develop national FRL for Vietnam.