Land use change impacts and cost estimation of capacity loss of carbon storage and sequestration in the Hyrcanian forested landscape using InVEST model

In this study, firstly, the process of changes in land coverage/usage was determined through satellite image analysis in the Dohezar and Sehezar forested landscape in Tonekabon County, Mazandaran Province during the years of 1984-2016 .Then, impacts of changes in land coverage/usage on the quantity of carbon sequestration and storage were mapped, quantified and valued using InVEST carbon model within the same time period. The result showed that dense and low-dense forest cover have been decreased by 18 and 55 percent, respectively during three decades, while semi-dense forest has been increased by 63 percent. It was also found that the effects of these structural changes in forest cover have reduced carbon sequestration capacity by 1927474 tons. This reduction has caused a loss of 53,137,258.80 US $ (equivalent to 568,568,699,160 billion rials) over three decades.