[Terrapreta] Canadian carbon

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Max, Greg, et al,

There was a story on Discovery TV last night about the "Spruce Beetle" in Alaska.  They claimed that average temperatures in Alaska have risen about 10 degrees (C or F, I don't remember?) in 40 years and that this has caused an explosion in the population of the beetle.  The population of the beetles was usually held at bay by the colder temperatures.  The end result was that the beetle has killed ~10 million acres of trees already and is spreading very fast.

I wonder what the "AGW/GW/GCC Deniers" will claim is the cause of this?

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Greg and April<mailto:gregandapril at earthlink.net> 
  To: MFH<mailto:mfh01 at bigpond.net.au> ; Terra Preta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 9:28 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Canadian carbon


  This is something I have mentioned to the list a couple of times now.

  It's not just Canada that's been hit either, locally the Forest Service has closed close to a dozen campgrounds and picnic areas, until they can get the crews in to clear out the dead trees - and there is so many dead trees, that they don't have any idea how long it will take ( especially in light of the fact that so far it promises to be a very interesting fire season ).

  Greg H.

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: MFH<mailto:mfh01 at bigpond.net.au> 
    To: Terra Preta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
    Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 16:08
    Subject: [Terrapreta] Canadian carbon


    An extract from a NZ timber industry newsletter. Presumably the beetle was historically in balance, but conditions have changed and he's away on a population explosion.

     

     

    "It's been well documented - the forestry industry in British Columbia has been hammered over the last 12 months from all sides. Mill closures, job layoffs (only this week the West Coast's largest forestry company, Western Forest Products, announced that it's shutting down most of it's logging operations next week with 800 loggers affected by the move ( More >> <http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=1d0dc9b6-3c22-41d5-9e48-911c8fb29257>) and of course the mountain pine beetle has knocked the industry for a six. Selling lumber from infested forests into a market already hit hard by reduced demand because of the collapse of the U.S. housing market has been tough.

    As we know, the mountain pine beetle has been the real killer though. According to new government statistics, about half of the marketable forest estate in BC (estimated to climb to a staggering 76% by 2015) has been ravaged by a nearly decade-long beetle infestation. The outbreak of mountain pine beetles has affected trees over an area of 13.5 million hectares. As of last month, the insects had infested and killed about 710 million cubic metres of timber - up from 582 million cubic metres at the same time last year, according to a recent news release.

    To add to the industry's woes, a just released report (see story below) says that the beetle is now transforming BC's forests into a major source of greenhouse gases. Federal scientists say that by the time this unprecedented infestation ends, an extra billion tonnes of carbon dioxide will have been released into the atmosphere. Big - you better believe it. The reports lead author says this is five times the annual emissions from all the cars, trucks, trains and planes in Canada.

    After "the beetle has eaten itself out of house and home" in BC the authors have suggested that given favourable conditions in future, such as the mild winters now being experienced, the beetle could well spread across Canada's vast northern boreal forest, one of the most important stores of carbon on the planet."

     

    Max H

     



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