On Friday, May 02, 1997 8:12 AM Hjarsen Thor wrote: > >From the recent contribution copied below to the list, it seems to me as > some foresters thinks it's a solution to global warming to make distubances > in natural forests to keep up CO2 sequestrations? I am shocked! Whether or not CO2 sequestration can be increased through forest management depends on a wide range of particulars including the state of the "natural" forest, the impact of management on soil carbon, the use to which the forest products derived from the land are put, i.e. short-term or long-term uses, and the growth rate of the managed forest. Of course, if you are a preservationist regarding forests you would not manage them but then they might sequester less carbon than if you did. The term "natural" is misleading if it is used to mean "never influnced by human beings". In this sense, virtually none of the tropical forests could be called "natural". It makes more sense to me to differentiate between "native" and "non-native" forests. In British Columbia, for example, nearly all our second-growth forests are native forests that have a species compositon that is within the range that could occur after disturbance in the absence of human intervention. It also makes sense to describe the degree of intensity of management. A native forest that is harvested and simply allowed to regenerate on its own will be more similar to the original forest than if intensive planting brushing, thinning, and pruning are practiced. >Plantations have even been made in the South by electric > companies in the North to compensate for establishment of new power plants. > By promoting such practise plantations will in the end occupy territorry > that could otherwise be used by poor farmers. > I find such solutions unethical from a biological and social view point. One of the reasons the farmers are poor is because they are practicing unsustainable agriculture and destroying the soil. I have seen many examples in the tropics including Brazil, Mexico, Guatamala and Costa Rica where this is the case. Plantation forests can rebuilt the soil, re-establish native vegetation and forest in riparian zones and reserves, and vastly improve the living standards of the peasant farmers so that they can send their children to schools, enjoy health care, and afford a life with some dignity. Refer to Stephan Schmidheiny's book "Changing Course" to read about the Aracruz eucalyptus plantation on the Atlantic coast of Brazil. As usual, David South has provided a bit of harsh realism about the global fact that we will continue to extract wood from native forests if we do not move quickly to reforest large areas that have been previously cleared for agriculture. Cheers Patrick Moore, GREENSPIRIT 4068 West 32nd Avenue Vancouver BC, CANADA V6S 1Z6 (604) 221-1990 phone/fax e-mail pmoore@mail.bc.rogers.wave.ca May the Forest be With You Try http://www.forest.org >
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