A SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE!
PROTECTING OUR REMAINING TREE COVERED FORESTLANDS OFFERS ONE OF THE BEST SOLUTIONS TO REVERSING CLIMATE CHANGE. TREES STORE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2), AND PROVIDING PROBABLY THE BEST SOLUTION TO REVERSE CURRENT CLIMATE CHANGES OCCURRING ON EARTH. ONE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT TREE COVERED LANDS ABSORB ALMOST 16 BILLION METRIC TONS OF CO2 WORLDWIDE ANNUALLY. IN ADDITION, THEY ARE CURRENTLY STORING OVER 850 GIGATONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE WORLDWIDE. EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT TREES UTILIZE CO2 IN THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS TO PRODUCE THE FOOD THAT ALLOWS THE TREE TO GROW AND MATURE. THE LARGER THE TREE THE MORE CO2 IT CAN STORE. A TREE REQUIRES ABOUT 1.75 POUNDS OF CO2 TO GROW 1 POUND OF WOOD. THE PROCESS, KNOWN AS PHOTOSYNTHESIS, UTILIZES THE TREE’S LEAVES TO CONVERT WATER AND CO2 TO GLUCOSE WHICH IS THE FOOD THE TREE REQUIRES TO GROW. THE LEAVES HAVE SPECIAL CELLS CONTAINING CHLOROPLASTS AND A GREEN SUBSTANCE CALLED CHLOROPHYLL. THE CHLOROPHYLL ABSORBS THE SUNLIGHT CAUSING A REACTION THAT ACTIVATES THE WATER AND CO2 TO FORM GLUCOSE WHICH FEEDS THE TREE. IN THE PROCESS OF GROWING A POUND OF WOOD, THE TREE PRODUCES ABOUT 1.4 POUNDS OF OXYGEN AND RETURNS IT BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS, THE COOLING DURING LEAF-ON-TIMES AND THE INTERRUPTION OF AIR FLOWS; MAKE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF TREE COVERED FOREST LANDS VITAL IN EFFORTS TO REVERSE THE CHANGING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS WE ARE EXPERIENCING WORLDWIDE. WE MUST, HOWEVER, UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ALL FORESTED LANDS ABSORB AND STORE CO2 IN THE SAME WAY. IT IS ESSENTIAL WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT WAYS CO2 FUNCTIONS IN THE DIFFERENT FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, IF WE ARE TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT THE LIFE SUSTAINING ELEMENT PROVIDED BY THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS AND THE NATURAL WORLD.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THREE CLIMATIC ZONES, TROPICAL, TEMPERATE AND BOREAL, IS ESSENTIAL IN CONSIDERING FOREST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO BE APPLIED. TROPICAL RAINFORESTS, BEING THE MOST PRODUCTIVE FORESTS ON OUR PLANET ARE RICH SOURCES OF BIO-DIVERSITY, WITH SOME FOREST ECOSYSTEMS CONTAINING 400 TO 500 DIFFERENT VEGETATIVE SPECIES. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CARBON STORED WITHIN THE TROPICAL FORESTS IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE ABOVE GROUND PLANTS GROWING THERE. THIS IS NOT TRUE OF THE BOREAL FORESTS. THE RAPID VEGETATION GROWTH OF PLANTS IN THE TROPICAL ZONE IS THE RESULT OF THE HIGHER HEAT TEMPERATURES AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE. THIS RESULTS IN RAPID DECAY OF DEAD TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION. EVEN THOUGH DEAD TREES RELEASE CARBON BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, THE RAPID REGROWTH QUICKLY ABSORBS CO2 FROM THE ATMOSPHERE. DUE TO THE DENSE VEGETATIVE COVER, RAPID GROWTH RATE AND DIVERSITY OF SPECIES, SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ESTIMATE THAT TROPICAL FORESTS REDUCE ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURES BY MORE THAN 1 DEGREE CENTIGRADE ON PLANET EARTH.
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR MOST PRODUCTIVE TROPICAL FORESTS ARE BEING DEFORESTED AT AN ALARMING RATE TO MAKE ROOM FOR LARGE AGRICULTURAL USES. WORKING WITH INDIGENOUS GROUPS THAT LIVE WITHIN THESE TROPICAL FORESTS OFFERS SOME HOPE TO REDUCE THE UNACCEPTABLE CLEARING OF THE LAND. THE LOSS OF TREE COVERED LANDS WITHIN THE TROPICAL ZONE WILL HAVE DEVASTATING IMPACTS UPON EARTH’S CARRYING-CAPACITY. STRENGTHENING AND ENFORCING ANTI-DEFORESTING LAWS AND FINDING WAYS TO REDUCE LAND CLEARING PROJECTS, IS ESSENTIAL.
IN THE TEMPERATE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, MUCH OF THE CO2 IS ALSO STORED WITHIN THE VEGETATION, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS WHERE HIGHER RAIN FALL SUPPORTS MORE DENSE FOREST COVER. THE YEARLY GROWTH ON EXISTING TREES ACCOUNTS FOR MUCH OF THE STORAGE CAPACITY OF CARBON IN TEMPERATE ZONE FORESTS. THIS RESULTS IN OLDER TREES ABSORBING LARGER AMOUNTS OF CO2 ANNUALLY, THAN YOUNGER TREES, THEREBY BEING ABLE TO STORE LARGER AMOUNTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE PER TREE. UNFORTUNATELY, COMMERCIAL TIMBER HARVESTING OF OLD GROWTH FORESTS PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO CARBON STORAGE IN TEMPERATE ZONE FORESTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE THREE QUARTERS OF OUR REMAINING OLD GROWTH STANDS REMAIN UNPROTECTED FROM TIMBER HARVESTING. WILDFIRES AND INSECT INFESTATIONS ARE ALSO A MAJOR THREAT TO TEMPERATE ZONE FOREST COVERED LANDS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS INCREASING THE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC ADVERSE EVENTS ON TEMPERATE FORESTS. MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF OUR TEMPERATE FORESTS MUST RE-EVALUATE IT’S FOCUS ON GROWING TREES AS CROPS, AND FOCUS ON HEALTH, VIGOR AND DIVERSITY OF OUR REMAINING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. THE LIFE SUSTAINING ELEMENTS, FOUND ONLY IN THE NATURAL WORLD, ARE FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ECONOMIC USES. CONTRACTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NON-COMMERCIAL SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE THE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH AND DIVERSITY COULD PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THE SALE OF COMMERCIAL TIMBER AND FOREST PRODUCTS GENERATES REVENUE WHICH COULD HELP FINANCE NON-COMMERCIAL TREATMENTS. OUR FUTURE DEPENDS UPON THE ACTIONS AND DIRECTIONS WE CHOSE.
BOREAL FORESTS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT, WITH THE MAJOR AMOUNT OF CARBON STORED BELOW GROUND. IN BOREAL FORESTS DUE TO THE COLDER TEMPERATURES, THE DECAYING PROCESS IS SLOWER THAN THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS THERE-BY, LOCKING AWAY CARBON IN ORGANIC MATERIAL, SUCH AS DECAYING ROOTS, PERMAFROST AND OTHER ORGANIC MATTER. STUDIES SUGGEST THAT 80% TO 90% OF THE CARBON IN THE BOREAL ZONE, IS STORED BELOW THE GROUND. WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, THE TREE LINE IS MOVING NORTH, MELTING THE PERMAFROST AND RELEASING LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. SCIENCE REPORTS, IF THE PERMAFROST WERE TO MELT, THE CARBON LEVEL IN THE ATMOSPHERE WOULD EXCEED THE LEVEL HUMANS COULD TOLERATE.
WITH THE WARMING OF TEMPERATURES IN THE BOREAL ZONE, WE ARE EXPERIENCING MORE FREQUENT WILDFIRES. WILDFIRES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THE BOREAL FOREST ECOLOGY, BUT THE INCREASING TEMPERATURES AND DRYER CONDITIONS HAVE RESULTED IN MORE FREQUENT AND MORE INTENSE FIRES. REVERSING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BOREAL FOREST ZONE IS NECESSARY AND PROBABLY BEST ACCOMPLISHED, THROUGH REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION. THE MANAGEMENT GOALS OF OUR TEMPERATE AND TROPICAL ZONES MUST FOCUS ON PROTECTING OLD GROWTH ECOSYSTEMS AND MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL FOREST ECOSYSTEMS FOR HEALTH, VIGOR AND DIVERSITY. EFFORTS TO REDUCE FUEL LOADING AND APPLY SUPPRESSION STRATEGIES, ARE USUALLY COST-EFFECTIVE WAYS OF PROTECTING CARBON STORAGE WITHIN OUR REMAINING BOREAL FORESTS.
UNDERSTANDING THE LIFE SUSTAINING ELEMENTS PROVIDED BY THE NATURAL WORLD IS REQUIRED BY OUR FORESTLAND MANAGERS, IF WE HOPE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES HUMANS WILL FACE AS WE APPROACH THE LIMITED CARRYING-CAPACITY OF PLANET EARTH. AS OUR WORLD POPULATION CONTINUES TO EXPAND, COUNTRIES ARE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS THAT WILL PROVIDE THE FOOD SUPPLIES REQUIRED TO FEED 10 BILLION PEOPLE IN 2050. FOREIGN COUNTRIES ARE PURCHASING FORESTED LANDS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, WITH THE INTENT OF CONVERTING THE LANDS TO AGRICULTURAL USES TO FEED THEIR PEOPLE.
WE MUST START NOW TO ADJUST OUR LIFE STYLES AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, IF WE HOPE TO PREPARE FOR THE NEEDS OF 10 BILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE IN JUST 25 YEARS. PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, HAVE IGNORED THE PROBLEMS OF POPULATION EXPANSION AND DEFORESTATION FAR TO LONG. MAKING GRADUAL ADJUSTMENTS IS NO LONGER ADEQUATE. THE CHALLENGE IS TO DECIDE IF WE ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT WHAT IS REQUIRED OR SIMPLE ACCEPT WHAT EVER THE FUTURE BRINGS! THE “DO NOTHING ALTERNATIVE” MUST NOT BE THE PATH WE CHOOSE! TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT WE MUST START NOW!!
PROTECTING OUR REMAINING TREE COVERED FORESTLANDS OFFERS ONE OF THE BEST SOLUTIONS TO REVERSING CLIMATE CHANGE. TREES STORE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2), AND PROVIDING PROBABLY THE BEST SOLUTION TO REVERSE CURRENT CLIMATE CHANGES OCCURRING ON EARTH. ONE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT TREE COVERED LANDS ABSORB ALMOST 16 BILLION METRIC TONS OF CO2 WORLDWIDE ANNUALLY. IN ADDITION, THEY ARE CURRENTLY STORING OVER 850 GIGATONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE WORLDWIDE. EVERYONE IS AWARE THAT TREES UTILIZE CO2 IN THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS TO PRODUCE THE FOOD THAT ALLOWS THE TREE TO GROW AND MATURE. THE LARGER THE TREE THE MORE CO2 IT CAN STORE. A TREE REQUIRES ABOUT 1.75 POUNDS OF CO2 TO GROW 1 POUND OF WOOD. THE PROCESS, KNOWN AS PHOTOSYNTHESIS, UTILIZES THE TREE’S LEAVES TO CONVERT WATER AND CO2 TO GLUCOSE WHICH IS THE FOOD THE TREE REQUIRES TO GROW. THE LEAVES HAVE SPECIAL CELLS CONTAINING CHLOROPLASTS AND A GREEN SUBSTANCE CALLED CHLOROPHYLL. THE CHLOROPHYLL ABSORBS THE SUNLIGHT CAUSING A REACTION THAT ACTIVATES THE WATER AND CO2 TO FORM GLUCOSE WHICH FEEDS THE TREE. IN THE PROCESS OF GROWING A POUND OF WOOD, THE TREE PRODUCES ABOUT 1.4 POUNDS OF OXYGEN AND RETURNS IT BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS, THE COOLING DURING LEAF-ON-TIMES AND THE INTERRUPTION OF AIR FLOWS; MAKE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF TREE COVERED FOREST LANDS VITAL IN EFFORTS TO REVERSE THE CHANGING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS WE ARE EXPERIENCING WORLDWIDE. WE MUST, HOWEVER, UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ALL FORESTED LANDS ABSORB AND STORE CO2 IN THE SAME WAY. IT IS ESSENTIAL WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT WAYS CO2 FUNCTIONS IN THE DIFFERENT FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, IF WE ARE TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT THE LIFE SUSTAINING ELEMENT PROVIDED BY THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS AND THE NATURAL WORLD.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THREE CLIMATIC ZONES, TROPICAL, TEMPERATE AND BOREAL, IS ESSENTIAL IN CONSIDERING FOREST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO BE APPLIED. TROPICAL RAINFORESTS, BEING THE MOST PRODUCTIVE FORESTS ON OUR PLANET ARE RICH SOURCES OF BIO-DIVERSITY, WITH SOME FOREST ECOSYSTEMS CONTAINING 400 TO 500 DIFFERENT VEGETATIVE SPECIES. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CARBON STORED WITHIN THE TROPICAL FORESTS IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE ABOVE GROUND PLANTS GROWING THERE. THIS IS NOT TRUE OF THE BOREAL FORESTS. THE RAPID VEGETATION GROWTH OF PLANTS IN THE TROPICAL ZONE IS THE RESULT OF THE HIGHER HEAT TEMPERATURES AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE. THIS RESULTS IN RAPID DECAY OF DEAD TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION. EVEN THOUGH DEAD TREES RELEASE CARBON BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, THE RAPID REGROWTH QUICKLY ABSORBS CO2 FROM THE ATMOSPHERE. DUE TO THE DENSE VEGETATIVE COVER, RAPID GROWTH RATE AND DIVERSITY OF SPECIES, SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ESTIMATE THAT TROPICAL FORESTS REDUCE ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURES BY MORE THAN 1 DEGREE CENTIGRADE ON PLANET EARTH.
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR MOST PRODUCTIVE TROPICAL FORESTS ARE BEING DEFORESTED AT AN ALARMING RATE TO MAKE ROOM FOR LARGE AGRICULTURAL USES. WORKING WITH INDIGENOUS GROUPS THAT LIVE WITHIN THESE TROPICAL FORESTS OFFERS SOME HOPE TO REDUCE THE UNACCEPTABLE CLEARING OF THE LAND. THE LOSS OF TREE COVERED LANDS WITHIN THE TROPICAL ZONE WILL HAVE DEVASTATING IMPACTS UPON EARTH’S CARRYING-CAPACITY. STRENGTHENING AND ENFORCING ANTI-DEFORESTING LAWS AND FINDING WAYS TO REDUCE LAND CLEARING PROJECTS, IS ESSENTIAL.
IN THE TEMPERATE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS, MUCH OF THE CO2 IS ALSO STORED WITHIN THE VEGETATION, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS WHERE HIGHER RAIN FALL SUPPORTS MORE DENSE FOREST COVER. THE YEARLY GROWTH ON EXISTING TREES ACCOUNTS FOR MUCH OF THE STORAGE CAPACITY OF CARBON IN TEMPERATE ZONE FORESTS. THIS RESULTS IN OLDER TREES ABSORBING LARGER AMOUNTS OF CO2 ANNUALLY, THAN YOUNGER TREES, THEREBY BEING ABLE TO STORE LARGER AMOUNTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE PER TREE. UNFORTUNATELY, COMMERCIAL TIMBER HARVESTING OF OLD GROWTH FORESTS PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO CARBON STORAGE IN TEMPERATE ZONE FORESTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE THREE QUARTERS OF OUR REMAINING OLD GROWTH STANDS REMAIN UNPROTECTED FROM TIMBER HARVESTING. WILDFIRES AND INSECT INFESTATIONS ARE ALSO A MAJOR THREAT TO TEMPERATE ZONE FOREST COVERED LANDS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS INCREASING THE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC ADVERSE EVENTS ON TEMPERATE FORESTS. MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF OUR TEMPERATE FORESTS MUST RE-EVALUATE IT’S FOCUS ON GROWING TREES AS CROPS, AND FOCUS ON HEALTH, VIGOR AND DIVERSITY OF OUR REMAINING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. THE LIFE SUSTAINING ELEMENTS, FOUND ONLY IN THE NATURAL WORLD, ARE FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ECONOMIC USES. CONTRACTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NON-COMMERCIAL SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE THE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH AND DIVERSITY COULD PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THE SALE OF COMMERCIAL TIMBER AND FOREST PRODUCTS GENERATES REVENUE WHICH COULD HELP FINANCE NON-COMMERCIAL TREATMENTS. OUR FUTURE DEPENDS UPON THE ACTIONS AND DIRECTIONS WE CHOSE.
BOREAL FORESTS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT, WITH THE MAJOR AMOUNT OF CARBON STORED BELOW GROUND. IN BOREAL FORESTS DUE TO THE COLDER TEMPERATURES, THE DECAYING PROCESS IS SLOWER THAN THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS THERE-BY, LOCKING AWAY CARBON IN ORGANIC MATERIAL, SUCH AS DECAYING ROOTS, PERMAFROST AND OTHER ORGANIC MATTER. STUDIES SUGGEST THAT 80% TO 90% OF THE CARBON IN THE BOREAL ZONE, IS STORED BELOW THE GROUND. WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, THE TREE LINE IS MOVING NORTH, MELTING THE PERMAFROST AND RELEASING LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. SCIENCE REPORTS, IF THE PERMAFROST WERE TO MELT, THE CARBON LEVEL IN THE ATMOSPHERE WOULD EXCEED THE LEVEL HUMANS COULD TOLERATE.
WITH THE WARMING OF TEMPERATURES IN THE BOREAL ZONE, WE ARE EXPERIENCING MORE FREQUENT WILDFIRES. WILDFIRES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THE BOREAL FOREST ECOLOGY, BUT THE INCREASING TEMPERATURES AND DRYER CONDITIONS HAVE RESULTED IN MORE FREQUENT AND MORE INTENSE FIRES. REVERSING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BOREAL FOREST ZONE IS NECESSARY AND PROBABLY BEST ACCOMPLISHED, THROUGH REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION. THE MANAGEMENT GOALS OF OUR TEMPERATE AND TROPICAL ZONES MUST FOCUS ON PROTECTING OLD GROWTH ECOSYSTEMS AND MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL FOREST ECOSYSTEMS FOR HEALTH, VIGOR AND DIVERSITY. EFFORTS TO REDUCE FUEL LOADING AND APPLY SUPPRESSION STRATEGIES, ARE USUALLY COST-EFFECTIVE WAYS OF PROTECTING CARBON STORAGE WITHIN OUR REMAINING BOREAL FORESTS.
UNDERSTANDING THE LIFE SUSTAINING ELEMENTS PROVIDED BY THE NATURAL WORLD IS REQUIRED BY OUR FORESTLAND MANAGERS, IF WE HOPE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES HUMANS WILL FACE AS WE APPROACH THE LIMITED CARRYING-CAPACITY OF PLANET EARTH. AS OUR WORLD POPULATION CONTINUES TO EXPAND, COUNTRIES ARE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS THAT WILL PROVIDE THE FOOD SUPPLIES REQUIRED TO FEED 10 BILLION PEOPLE IN 2050. FOREIGN COUNTRIES ARE PURCHASING FORESTED LANDS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, WITH THE INTENT OF CONVERTING THE LANDS TO AGRICULTURAL USES TO FEED THEIR PEOPLE.
WE MUST START NOW TO ADJUST OUR LIFE STYLES AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, IF WE HOPE TO PREPARE FOR THE NEEDS OF 10 BILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE IN JUST 25 YEARS. PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, HAVE IGNORED THE PROBLEMS OF POPULATION EXPANSION AND DEFORESTATION FAR TO LONG. MAKING GRADUAL ADJUSTMENTS IS NO LONGER ADEQUATE. THE CHALLENGE IS TO DECIDE IF WE ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT WHAT IS REQUIRED OR SIMPLE ACCEPT WHAT EVER THE FUTURE BRINGS! THE “DO NOTHING ALTERNATIVE” MUST NOT BE THE PATH WE CHOOSE! TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT WE MUST START NOW!!