[Terrapreta] Tree planting -- a bit more

[Kevin Chisholm]

lou gold wrote:
> Kelpie Wilson over at TruthOut as juxtaposed two recent articles on 
> tree planting, soils, etc.
> They reveal the issues. 
> http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/120307EA.shtml 
> <http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/120307EA.shtml>
>
> There's tremendous misunderstanding and I suspect lots is reported 
> without full context. Here's an example:
>
>     "Forests are a band-aid," said Mike Flannigan, a research 
> scientists at the Canadian Forest Service. "Eventually, forests die, 
> releasing all that stored carbon into the atmosphere."
>
>     "Forests are carbon-neutral over the long term," Flannigan told IPS.
>
Where is the misunderstanding? He clearly says forests are a bandaid, 
but in teh long term, are carbon neutral.
>
> So, do they release all stored carbon or not? The answer is 1) at 
> first they grow and capture carbon quickly; 2) then they start to 
> recycle as decay replaces some of the early growth binge; 3) then they 
> reach an equilibrium state in which the future is carbon neutral 
> (growth and decay in equal amounts) AND there is an enormous amount of 
> carbon (from the past) stored in large tree boles and in undisturbed soil.
>
All the carbon in the tree and roots is, as you state, carbon neutral. 
Same as Flannigan says.
>
> LESSONS: 1) It is far more important to stop deforestation of standing 
> stable forests than to plant trees; 
I would disagree. When they are overmature, they are returning more C to 
the Biosphere than they are capturing. At that stage, they are a carbon 
source, and should be harvested..
> 2) tree planting is important in the right places and if the intention 
> is to preserve them as diverse forests;
You really don't have to plant trees if you manage a forest for mixed 
uneven aged stands. Selectively harvest the mature and overmature trees, 
and new growth fills tgeh cleared gap.
> and 3) one region meeting short-term targets (in this case Europe) 
> does not balance long-term damage taking place in other regions 
> (tropical rainforests).
True
>
> Hope this helps with a complicated issue.
The explanations you pose should be seen in context. Strategies that are 
sound for Balsam Fir and White Spruce (short lived species)are very 
different from strategies that would be employed for long lived 
species.(Redwood, Douglas Fir)

Best wishes,

Kevin
>
> lou
>
> -- 
> http://lougold.blogspot.com/
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/visionshare/sets/ 
> <http://www.flickr.com/photos/visionshare/sets/>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Terrapreta mailing list
> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
> http://info.bioenergylists.org