SUMFOR-7: the Cuban carbon calculator for the forestry sector
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Abstract
Quantifying forest carbon is crucial for national climate commitments, which motivated the development of a tool adapted to Cuba's specific conditions. This work aimed to present the development and application of SUMFOR, a carbon calculator specifically designed for the Cuban forestry sector. The tool was developed in Microsoft Excel and used the difference-stock method to calculate CO₂ removals, requiring users only to provide the technical and forest management data they routinely handle. Data processing was structured in three stages: calculation of carbon stocks by reservoir (biomass, necromass, soil), projection of the 10-year baseline, and evaluation of mitigation alternatives with their respective economic and financial analysis. The results of its application in more than twenty companies showed that the net carbon balance is not always positive, highlighting the need for a detailed analysis of the causes. The calculator has been validated and is being used in a pilot program for payments for environmental services, issuing carbon removal certificates. It was concluded that SUMFOR is an operational tool tailored to the specific characteristics of the Cuban forestry sector, and its continuous improvement aims to reduce uncertainties, for example, by incorporating carbon stored in the bark and updating the basic density values of natural forests.
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