[Terrapreta] Sustainable Forest Management

[Jon C. Frank]

Lou,

I think that sustainably managed forests should include the following
practices:

1) Be selectively thinned of the misshapen growth.  This material would be
great to use as biomass to make charcoal.  This charcoal could be mixed with
remineralizing rock powders and returned to the forest floor.  By keeping
the forest somewhat thinned it will increase the growth rate of the
remaining trees.

2) Quality trees should be selectively harvested for timber.  This should be
done on a here a tree there a tree basis.  Harvesting quality timber is a
good way to lock up carbon for a longer duration.

3) Forests must be remineralized with rock powders in order to keep growth
at an active rate.  A heavy remineralization should last about 30-40 years.
This remineralization can include, charcoal, limestone, gypsum, glacial rock
dusts, and other specialty rock powders.

I believe this type of management is better than just leaving a forest
alone.  The production of timber can help pay for the remineralization.

Lou, I share your awe of the forest.

Jon
  -----Original Message-----
  From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of lou gold
  Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 12:46 PM
  To: Sean K. Barry
  Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] CO2 rising


  Hi Everyone,

  The relationships between forests and global warming are quite complex and
function differently at different points in the life-cycle of a forest.

  For example, while it is true that young fast growing forests draw more
carbon from the atmosphere than do old-growth forests, the latter is a much
bigger sink (long-term but temporary) of sequestered carbon. Put
simplistically, a young fast-growing tree will have to grow for 500 years in
order to store as much carbon as an existing 500 year old tree. But this is
a as an overly simplistic way to look at a forest which is an extremely
complex ecosystem.

  The study referenced may have been the one about the "albedo effect" or
the extent to which forests absorb or reflect heat and it works quite
differently in temperate forests than in the tropics. Forest may contribute
to warming in the colder climates whereas they are cooling forces in the
tropics.

  Truly significant carbon emissions from forests do occur another part of
nature's cycle -- forest fires. As temperatures and droughts increase, so do
fires creating a positive feedback loop. Under some models of global
warming, forests become so stressed and fires become so prevalent that
forests become not only net emitters, but huge 'tipping-point' emitters of
CO2. At present, tropical deforestation for logging and agriculture uses
fire as a clearing or 'management' tool. It's approximated 70% of Brazil's
significant greenhouse gas pollution is from forest fires. The important
thing to appreciate is that most of nature's carbon sinks are temporary and
function in long-term equilibrium only if left undisturbed.

  We should not get caught up in thinking about trees separate from the
"biosphere" of atmosphere, plants, water and soil. The main reason to
preserve old-growth or primary forest ecosystems is that they have attained
a mature order (equilibrium) that maximizes internal recycling, increased
soil fertility, water retention, a complex biodiversity AND retention of
sequestered carbon. When the system is disturbed all kinds of things are
released in a chaotic and potentially catastrophic fashion. It's all
connected.

  Here's a good article: http://www.conbio.org/CIP/article82sin.cfm

  Hope this helps.

  lou
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