feg autumn symposium david read uk forests and mitigation of climate change
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FEG Autumn Symposium
David Read
UK Forests and Mitigation of Climate Change
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Sensitivities!
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How can UK forestry adapt to and improve its contribution to mitigating climate change?
We were asked to:
• Review and synthesise existing knowledge of the impacts of climate change on UK forests.
• Provide a baseline of the potential of UK forests to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
• Identify gaps and weaknesses in our understanding so as to determine research priorities for the next 5 years.
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Setting out the science
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Humanity has raised the global CO2 concentration by 70ppm over the last 50 years
Monthly carbon dioxide concentration
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UK will continue to warm in all scenarios
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Rainfall amounts and distribution will change
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Oak is coming into leaf earlier
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Changes will impact on species choice and composition in native woodlands
Oak – suitability relative to maximum productivity (greens = suitable)
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Trees and forest soils lock up carbon
Net ecosystem carbon exchange
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Average daily removal or release of CO2 during year
17–21 year old Sitka spruce evergreen.Annual total
removal of CO2
24 tonnes per hectare per year.
72–80 year old oak & mixed deciduous.
Annual total removal of CO2
15 tonnes per hectare per year.
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Can we harness this C-fixing capability to provide mitigation of emissions?
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Sequestration and / or Substitution – carbon lock up after felling
Cumulative emissions abatement in 2050 for a range of woodland creation options
Biomass – replacing fossil
fuels
Different objectives and strategies, all +ve
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TThe potential emissions abatement achievable by a woodland creation programme of 10 000 ha per year
for 15 years using a mixture of energy forestry, conifer forests and native broadleaved woodlands
THE VITAL ROLE OF SUBSTITUTION
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Wood products extend carbon lock up
Wood products in construction are CO2 sinks. Bricks, concrete, steel are
net sources.
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But we’ve been creating fewer new woodlands
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So uptake of greenhouse gases is projected to fall
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YET-
IN HMG’s NATIONAL
ECOSYSTEMSASSESSMENT
(2011)THE KEY
FINDINGS SHOW THEWOODLAND
SECTOR TO BE‘IMPROVING’!
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Key findings
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A clear need for more woodlands
Enhanced planting of 23,000 ha per year over next 40 years could by 2050 abate 10% of GHG emissions
• Technically feasible – if challenging
• All options cost-effective
• Rapid growing conifers and energy crops best
• But mixed woodlands still only £25 per tonne CO2
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Forest land cover in parts of Europe
+4% change in land cover proposed would still be one of lowest in Europe
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An asset to be managed wisely
UK forests store 790 MtC and remove 15 MtCO2 per year
• Climate change impacts are already being seen
• Pests and diseases causing increasing concern
• Regulatory framework important including for urban trees to ensure continued delivery of range of ecosystem services
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The status quo is not an option
Long timescales mean need for action now
• Changes to selection of species and origin needed now
• In future need to consider new species e.g. from continental Europe
• Difficult questions for conservation of biodiversity in woodland communities
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This is a WIN – WIN – WIN enterprise
Win 1 Mitigation of GHG impacts
Win 2 Direct financial return (reduce imports increase exports)
Win 3 Enhancement of environmental quality
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- But there is a fourth WIN
This can be achieved on marginal land with no necessity to compete with agricultural
crop production
or
Any need for fertiliser input
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Plant now Use
sustainably
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Acknowledgements in particular to the following members of the RR team:-
M.Broadmeadow, P.Freer-Smith, W.Harper, P.Jarvis, K.Kirby, B.Mason, R.Matthews,
J.Morrison, M.Perks, C.Quine, D.Ray, P.Snowden, E.Suttie, C.West.
Thanks are also due to Tim Rollinson (DG,FC)for commissioning the project.
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