Forests suck up roughly 30% of our carbon emissions annually. If we want a fighting chance against climate change, we need them to keep doing this, and if possible to suck up more. However, there are different theories as how to best manage forest for carbon storage. Luckily, some research has shed some light on this issue. Do new forests suck up more carbon than old? How does carbon released during a forest fire compare to carbon released during harvesting? How do we do the most good for the most people?

Resources

Sierra Club

Sponsors

West Fraser

GreenLink Forestry Inc.

Damaged Timber

Forest Proud

Quotes

1.01.34 - 1.01.44: “We know that forests can be a missing piece of… the things we could do to combat climate change.”

Takeaways

Forest service: then and now (12.11)

Jim narrates the history of logging and construction in US forests, which inspired the conservation movement in the late 1800s.

Canada and USA differences (16.45)

Jim outlines the differences between Canada and the USA: Canada has less people but more public forest estate and uses less wood.

Determine where to conserve nature (24.15)

Bev has been involved in various aspects of global carbon cycle research for over 30 years to understand the role of forests in taking carbon from the atmosphere.

Carbon density and biodiversity (28.00)

Bev’s team’s research showed that where carbon density was higher, so was biodiversity. They modelled future carbon accumulation under future climate conditions.

Forest carbon accounting (32.40)

Afforestation increases forest carbon 10 times more than reforestation, and a young forest takes the “slow in, fast out” approach in restoring carbon balance.

“Greatest good for the greatest number” (37.59)

While private industrial lands are managed for economic value, public forests, particularly old growth ones, should be managed for carbon sequestration.

Reexamining forest management practices (42.37)

Jim shares his experience working with the forest of the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990s when the northern spotted owls became endangered, which stopped the massive logging.

“The environment is the people at large” (49.15)

Jim’s book, Toward a Natural Forest, expounds his views on managing climate change and meeting natural resource needs by restoring the character of mature and old growth forests.

Strategic forest reserves (1.00.34)

Alex proposes thinking along the lines of creating executive action for old growth and mature forests’ direct mapping, cataloguing and conservation.

Measure twice, cut once (1.06.46)

Bev discusses her research around carbon stocks in mature and old growth forests. Maturity of different species and fire intensity of the forests impact forest management approaches.

Captain Planet (1.17.14)

Bev would like to protect species biodiversity and drinking water sources, and prevent extinction on federal lands.

“With fire, it’s one size does not fit all” (1.20.32)

Bev speaks about the considerations in fire and forest management and how fire impacts different types of forests differently.

Hold onto the forests and grow more (1.27.25)

Jim clarifies that prescribed burning only causes 2-3% of carbon to be lost to the atmosphere but the forest soon recovers and starts sequestering carbon again.

Review this podcast, share it on Instagram and Facebook, and give us your feedback!