[Terrapreta] Earthen Kilns Conjecture

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Greg,

Culling (selective cutting) in an old growth forest, to remove diseased trees, suckers, smaller than 3" diameter trees, and such isn't a bad idea at all, I don't think.   The forest arisings can be a significant source of biomass.  Removal of dead and decaying woody biomass can also reduce the fire danger by removing the easy fuel.

As I have understood forest growth, young forests have fast growing trees and little decay.  The older, larger trees in older, more mature forests do use less CO2 per pound, if you will, than smaller, younger trees, but large trees still take up large amounts of CO2 during the growing season.  The other effect of decay in old growth forests is what makes them less able to sequester carbon than younger forests.  They lose CO2 to decay almost as fast or faster in some places than the CO2 taken up by the trees when they are growning.

Regards,

SKB

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Greg and April<mailto:gregandapril at earthlink.net> 
  To: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> 
  Cc: terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 9:26 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Earthen Kilns Conjecture


  Just a second.

  While wholesale logging of healthy old growth trees is a real bad idea, the logging of diseased trees, and areas that are over grown ( like with a lot of spindly that are not growing well ) can only help the forest.

  For those of you that see this as a CO2 issue, there is also this to keep in mind, young trees ( especially in early stages of succession ), grow many times faster than older trees, taking up CO2 faster than an older tree of the same total mass.


  So in a sense, selective use of logging can not only promote a healthier forest, it can take up CO2 faster in some cases.


  Greg H.

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> 
    To: lou gold<mailto:lou.gold at gmail.com> ; Michael Bailes<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com> 
    Cc: terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
    Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 19:35
    Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Earthen Kilns Conjecture


    SNIP

    I do not think we want to consider harvesting old growth forests anyway now, to make charcoal to put into Terra Preta Nova soils.  No one hear thinks that is what needs be done and it's because the ancients did it that way.  
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