BC Forests and Global Warming

The Mountain Pine beetle epidemic - itself largely caused by Global Warming - has changed the face of BC's forests.  Roughly 13.5 million Ha of BC forests have been affected.

The question now is what to do with those forests? What is the best way to minimize their undesirable effects?

BC Forests, a source or a sink?

In recent Ministry of Forest reports, scientists are now saying that BC forests are a net source of carbon rather than a sink, producing more GHG emissions than are absorbed.  As the wood killed by the the pine beetle epidemic rots it releases CO2 into the atmosphere and contributes to the heat trapping CO2 blanket responsible for Global Warming.  The government is saying that the only way to mitigate the fact that our forests have become a carbon source, is to burn them as bioenergy.  If you are feeling confused, you are not the only one!

What the report doesn’t say is that any live tree (of which there are many even in Pine Beetle affected area s- in fact for every 2 invested trees one healthy one is cut [i]) absorbs CO2. 

Also, the soil and microorganisms below a tree left to rot absorbs much of the carbon back into the ground as the tree decomposes over 20-40 years. On the other hand, if a tree is burnt it releases all of the carbon stored within its lifetime instantaneously into the atmosphere. 

Ecologically, the best thing to do is leave the Beetle forests alone except for fire prevention. A rotting tree provides biomass and habitat to the forest ecosystem.  Intact forest ecosystems are the most resilient to the natural disasters brought on by Global Warming, and the most likely to be able to mitigate the damage in the future.

• What about BioEnergy

[i] Overcutting and Waste in B.C.’s Interior: By Pen Parfitt, June 2007, pg 6. “One or more fir or spruce trees are being logged for every two pine trees”, “Only a fraction of beetle-attacked forest are reasonable candidates for logging.