Yan, Y. 2025. A mathematical modeling framework to optimize the climate change mitigation potential of the forest sector in British Columbia, Canada. MSc thesis, University of British Columbia.
Project
Yancun (Walter) Yan MSc thesis
A completed MSc thesis on integrated optimization of forest-sector climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia.
Yancun (Walter) Yan's MSc thesis developed an integrated mathematical modelling framework to simulate and optimize climate change mitigation potential in British Columbia's forest sector.
The framework combines a Strategic Forest Management Model, Forest Carbon Budget Model, and Wood Product Carbon Model to track indicators including forest carbon stocks and net carbon emissions from the forest sector.
Using the Prince George Timber Supply Area as a case study, the thesis compared scenarios ranging from no harvest to maximum harvest, tested the linkage between strategic forest management and carbon-budget modelling, and evaluated tradeoffs between timber supply and forest carbon outcomes.
The optimization work used epsilon-constraint methods to generate Pareto front curves for competing objectives such as maximizing wood supply, maximizing total forest carbon stock, and minimizing net forest carbon emissions, with sensitivity analysis around harvested wood product longevity and substitution effects.
A thesis-derived journal manuscript is in development from this work.
Status
- Past MSc thesis
People And Roles
- Yancun (Walter) Yan: MSc student
- Gregory Paradis: co-supervisor
- Qingshi Tu: co-supervisor
Outputs
- MSc thesis
- Integrated SFMM-FCBM-WPCM modelling framework
- Prince George TSA case study
- Pareto-front tradeoff analysis for timber supply and forest carbon outcomes
- Thesis-derived journal manuscript in development