Spatial and temporal analysis of land use and carbon storage dynamics in for-est ecosystems: The case of Reşadiye

This study aims to analyze land cover changes and the associated biomass and carbon stocks between 1971 and 2022 in the Reşadiye Forest Enterprises, located within the borders of the Reşadiye district of Tokat Province. Forest management plans, stand maps, and 1:25000-scale topographic maps for four periods (1971, 1991, 2012, 2022) were used as materials. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines, carbon stock conditions have been calculated based on the differences between successive inventory periods. The analysis, supported by biomass and carbon conversion coefficients, was mapped with ArcGIS Desktop 10.2™ software. These results show that the proportion of pure coniferous forests increased from 6.9% to 19%, and the proportion of deciduous forests increased from 2.0% to 7.6% between 1971 and 2022. During the same period, degraded forest areas decreased from 34.2% to 15.7%; total carbon stock increased by 101.7% from 924.310 tons to 1864.306 tons. However, there was a significant decrease in biomass between 2012 and 2022. This situation highlights the impact of management practices on forest dynamics, the carbon cycle, and natural succession processes. The study highlights the importance of sustainable land use policies and the necessity of monitoring the continuity of carbon stocks. The results pro-vide valuable data for updating carbon inventories and planning climate change mitigation strategies for the Reşadiye region.