Unit 3 - Canada and the World's Forest Land Issues
Carbon Cycling
We know forests provide homes for people and animals, provide jobs and support the economy, and help keep the world cooler by providing shade. Forests also fight climate change by removing carbon dioxide (C02), a greenhouse gas produced
by fossil fuel emissions, from the atmosphere. This occurs because forests are part of the carbon cycle. Through photosynthesis trees use C02 to create wood, leaves or needles, and roots, and release oxygen.
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With permission from the Canadian Institute of Forestry / Institut forestier du Canada.
With permission from the Canadian Institute of Forestry / Institut forestier du Canada.
Pros and Cons of Carbon Cycle
When a tree dies the C02 is slowly released back into the atmosphere as it decomposes. When trees are cut down, 40–60% of the carbon they contain remains in the forest. These roots, branches and leaves will decompose over time, slowly releasing C02. (Con) Logs transported to mills are converted into forest products such as lumber or paper to serve the needs of society, and some of the bark and leftover wood pieces are burned for energy. The C0 2 stays in the products and is not released into the atmosphere until the products are burned or decomposed in landfills. For example, the lumber that makes up a house, or the paper in a book, holds C02 until they are destroyed. (Pro) Products with shorter life-spans, like newspapers, are sent to the landfill and decompose much sooner, unless they are recycled. (Con) The overall result is that each year, more and more carbon is being stored in forest products. (Pro)
Disturbing the soil during harvesting can cause some release of carbon dioxide. (Con) Reducing the forest disturbance associated with harvesting, reducing road widths, and helping trees grow back sooner reduces the negative impact. The area that was harvested soon begins to store carbon again as young trees grow. (Pro)
Candian Forests Carbon Sink-Source Balance
Forests have the potential to be either carbon sinks (taking in more C02), or carbon sources (releasing more stored carbon than they capture). In Canada, the fluctuation in the sink–source carbon balance is closely connected to annual forest fires.
Canada is working to reduce the amount of forested lands cleared for other uses and create a sustainable supply of timber for industry use. The annual deforestation rate continues to decline. Forest scientists are working to improve harvesting techniques,
preserve ecosystems, and grow trees more quickly. A program called CBM-CFS3 (Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector) has been created by Natural Resources, Canada’s Canadian Forest Service, and the Canadian Model Forest Network for forest managers and technicians to help measure the carbon implications of their
forest management plan, enabling them to develop plans that will have the lowest environmental impact possible.
Wood energy is considered climate-neutral because it is a renewable energy resource, unlike fossil fuels. For this reason, a lot of research is now being completed to develop technologies that will maximize efficiency and minimize emissions when wood or wood-by products, such as pellets or biomaterial, are used as heating or fuel sources. In fact, since 1990, the pulp and paper industry in Canada has reduced emissions by about 65% by replacing fossil fuels used for mill processes with low net-carbon emissions energy generated by burning wood residues.
Wood energy is considered climate-neutral because it is a renewable energy resource, unlike fossil fuels. For this reason, a lot of research is now being completed to develop technologies that will maximize efficiency and minimize emissions when wood or wood-by products, such as pellets or biomaterial, are used as heating or fuel sources. In fact, since 1990, the pulp and paper industry in Canada has reduced emissions by about 65% by replacing fossil fuels used for mill processes with low net-carbon emissions energy generated by burning wood residues.
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Courtesy of http://www.national.observer.com/
Courtesy of http://www.national.observer.com/
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is a way to calculate and put financial value for the carbon stored in forests. In 2008, the United Nations launched the UN-REDD+ program, which offers incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon sustainable development with the support and expertise of developed countries like Canada.
Forest Facts
The UN-REDD+ supports 42 partner countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Funding of $59.3 million has been approved for national programs for 14of those countries—Bolivia, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia. The program has received the most funding support from Norway, Denmark, Spain, and Japan. In addition to financial support, Canada has contributed its expertise and research.
Courtesy of https://ourworldindata.org CC by 4.0