> Ñlimate Change & Environment

Forest and climate change One of the forest ecosystem services that Face the Future focuses on is the sequestration and storage of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (ÑÎ2). Growing forest has a net sequestration of ÑÎ2 from the atmosphere. Mature forest is more important for the storage of carbon (the carbon stock is at a maximum during maturity), as the net sequestration is almost zero. Trees sequester ÑÎ2 for growth and maintenance and release the oxygen (Î2). The carbon (C) functions as ‘building material’ or as energy. The biomass of the forest is for 50% composed of carbon. By protecting the forest ÑÎ2 emissions are being prevented and by forestation and rehabilitation extra ÑÎ2 is being sequestered from the atmosphere.

Deforestation

Terrestrial ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon cycle. The total carbon stock on land amounts to 2300 GtC (Gigaton carbon). That is considerably higher than the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, which is about 750 GtC. There is an annual exchange of 120 GtC between the land and the atmosphere, through the processes photosynthesis, respiration and decay. The extra ÑÎ₂ emissions that have been caused by humanity is 8 GtC. That seems an relative small amount, but since the Industrial Revolution that has already resulted in increase of 165 GtC in the atmosphere, which is an increase of 28%. In the 1990s the carbon emissions as a result of land use change (mainly deforestation) amounted to 1,6 GtC per year. Altogether about 17 % of worldwide anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are being caused by deforestation and forest degradation. That is a very high percentage; for comparison: the emissions caused by aviation is 2 – 3 %. It is a very pregnant fact that Indonesia is the number three largest global emitter of greenhouse gases because of the high domestic deforestation and drainage of peatlands. Counteracting deforestatation by paying for the stored carbon is being regarded as a cost-efficient approach to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions.

Adaptation

Whatever measures will be taken, it is impossible to completely prevent climate change. And ecosystems will suffer from this climate change. Important consequences are the change in the size of species’ habitats, the extinction of species, the vulnerability of ecosystems to plagues and the increase of intensity and frequency of plagues, but also the productivity might increase in some areas due to higher atmospheric ÑÎ₂ concentrations and higher and more favourable temperatures. In forest policy and forest management there need to be taken account of the effects of climate change, although there is still a large knowledge gap about what the impact is and which measures are required. The effects of climate change and the consequent responses of ecosystems are site-specific. It is already evident that one of the required measures is that we need large nature areas that are connected to each other in order to facilitate the shift of species and enabling them to migrate to suitable habitats.

Sustainable Forest Management

Ecosystems can have a high contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change by its water and diseases regulating capacities. As has been mentioned on this website, societies depend on ecosystem products and services. Through sustainable management of these ecosystems they can continue to fulfil this function, in order to make society less vulnerable to climate change.

References:
- IPCC 2007. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Climate Change 2007. The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Edited by Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 996 pp.
- IUFRO 2009. Adaptation of Forests and People to Climate Change. A Global Assessment Report. IUFRO World Series Volume 22. Helsinki. 224 p.
- Locatelli, B., Kanninen, M., Brockhaus, M., Colfer, C.J.P., Murdiyarso, D. and Santoso, H. 2008 Facing an Uncertain Future: How Forests and People can Adapt to Climate Change. Forest Perspectives no. 5. CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia.
- Stern, N. 2006. The Economics of Climate Change. The Stern Review. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 692 p.

Source: Face - The Future

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