Forests, Carbon, and Climate Change

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Forests, Carbon, and Climate Change Forests,Forests, CarbonCarbon andand ClimateClimate ChangeChange A SYNTHESIS OF SCIENCE FINDINGS Forests,Forests, CarbonCarbon andand ClimateClimate ChangeChange A SYNTHESIS OF SCIENCE FINDINGS A project of The Oregon Forest Resources Institute Oregon State University College of Forestry Oregon Department of Forestry © 2006 Oregon Forest Resources Institute Forests, Carbon and Climate Change: A Synthesis of Science Findings TABLE OF CONTENTS Contributing Authors ................................................................................................ ii Preface ........................................................................................................................... iii Mike Cloughesy, Director of Forestry, Oregon Forest Resources Institute CHAPTER 1. Introduction: Forests, Carbon and Climate — Continual Change and Many Possibilities ............................................ 3 Hal Salwasser, Ph.D., Dean, College of Forestry, Oregon State University CHAPTER 2. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ........................................................... 21 Mark Harmon, Ph.D., Richardson Chair and Professor of Forest Science, Oregon State University CHAPTER 3. Climate Change at Multiple Scales .................................................. 31 Constance Millar, Ph.D., Research Paleoecologist, PSW Research Station, USDA Forest Service Ronald P. Neilson, Ph.D., Bioclimatologist, USDA Forest Service Dominique Bachelet, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University Raymond J. Drapek, Ph.D., Ecosystem Modeler/GIS Scientist, U.S. Forest Service James M. Lenihan, Ph.D., Research Scientist, USDA Forest Service CHAPTER 4. Global Warming: A Skeptic’s View ................................................... 63 George Taylor, State Climatologist, Oregon Climate Service CHAPTER 5. Forest Management Strategies for Carbon Storage ...................... 79 Olga N. Krankina, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Senior Research, Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University Mark Harmon, Ph.D., Richardson Chair and Professor of Forest Science, Oregon State University CHAPTER 6. Keeping Land in Forest ...................................................................... 93 Jeffrey D. Kline, Ph.D., Research Forester, Pacific Northwest Research Station CHAPTER 7. Using Wood Products to Reduce Global Warming ...................... 117 James Wilson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Wood Science and Engineering, Oregon State University CHAPTER 8. Emerging Markets for Carbon Stored by Northwest Forests........ 131 Bettina von Hagen, V.P., Forestry and Natural Capital Fund, Ecotrust Mike Burnett, Executive Director, The Climate Trust CHAPTER 9. Carbon Accounting: Determining Carbon Offsets from Forest Projects ........................................................................... 157 Jim Cathcart, Ph.D., Acting Forest Health & Monitoring Manager, Oregon Department of Forestry Matt Delaney, Forester , Delaney Forestry Services CHAPTER 10. Governor’s Global Warming Initiative .......................................... 177 Gail Achterman, Director, Institute for Natural Resources, Oregon State University i Forests, Carbon and Climate Change: A Synthesis of Science Findings Contributing Authors Gail Achterman Olga N. Krankina, Ph.D. Director, Institute for Natural Resources Assistant Professor, Senior Research Oregon State University Department of Forest Science 210 Strand Agriculture Hall Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331 202 Richardson Hall Corvallis, OR 97331 Dominique Bachelet, Ph.D. Associate Professor James M. Lenihan, Ph.D. Department of Biological and Ecological Research Scientist Engineering USDA Forest Service Oregon State University 3200 SW Jefferson Way Corvallis, OR 97331 Corvallis, OR 97331 Mike Burnett Connie Millar, Ph.D. Executive Director Research Paleoecologist The Climate Trust Sierra Nevada Research Center 65 SW Yamhill St., Suite 400 PSW Research Station, USDA Forest Service Portland, OR 97204 800 Buchanan St. Albany, CA 94710 Jim Cathcart, Ph.D. Acting Forest Health & Monitoring Manager Ronald P. Neilson, Ph.D. Oregon Department of Forestry Bioclimatologist 2600 State St. USDA Forest Service Salem, OR 97310 3200 SW Jefferson Way Corvallis, OR 997331 Matt Delaney Forester Hal Salwasser, Ph.D. Delaney Forestry Services Dean, College of Forestry 1216 Calapooia St. Oregon State University Albany, OR 97321 Corvallis, OR 97331 Raymond J. Drapek, Ph.D. George Taylor Ecosystem Modeler/GIS Scientist State Climatologist U.S. Forest Service Oregon Climate Service PNW Station 326 Strand Ag Hall Corvallis, OR 97331 Corvallis, OR 97331 Mark Harmon, Ph.D. Bettina von Hagen Richardson Chair and Professor of Forest Science V.P., Forestry and Natural Capital Fund Oregon State University Ecotrust Department of Forest Science 721 NW 9th St. 321 Richardson Hall Portland, OR 97209 Corvallis, OR 97331 Jim Wilson, Ph.D. Jeffrey D. Kline, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus Research Forester Department of Wood Science and Engineering Pacific Northwest Research Station Oregon State University 3200 SW Jefferson Way Corvallis, OR 97331, Corvallis, OR 97331 Vice President, CORRIM, www.corrim.org. ii Forests, Carbon and Climate Change: A Synthesis of Science Findings Preface he Oregon Forest Resources Institute that forests play an important role in (OFRI) commissioned this book, a maintaining a livable climate. Tsynthesis of science findings on the relationships between forests, atmospheric Beginning around 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, carbon and climate change. While there is not humans initiated massive losses of forest due to scientific consensus about all the causes and agriculture and, subsequently, urban and industrial implications of global climate change and the development. While forest conversion has largely role of human activities, there is agreement that been reversed in North America and Europe, we the relationships between forests and carbon, still face big challenges to keeping the world’s carbon and climate, and climate and forests are remaining 9.6 billion forest acres in forest use. important and need to be better understood. It is also clear that Oregon is a forest-rich state, During the past 300 years of the industrial age, poised with opportunities for forests, forestry humans have accelerated the transfer of carbon and forest product enterprises to contribute from long-term stores in fossil fuels and forests toward maintaining a livable climate. into the atmospheric pool. The current level and rate of increase in both temperature and As we might remember from school, carbon is atmospheric carbon may exceed conditions over the essential element of life. Plants convert the past 650,000 years, with forests responding in atmospheric carbon from CO2 into sugars complex ways. through photosynthesis. Animals eat plants and give off CO2 to the atmosphere through Since forests play an important role in storing respiration. And all organisms give off carbon carbon, having more forest cover is a positive when they respire, die and decay. force in lowering atmospheric carbon levels. Conversion of lands currently in other uses to We now know that there is a relationship forests (afforestation), reforesting quickly and between temperature and the amount of carbon aggressively after harvest or natural disturbance, in the atmosphere. Of the five greenhouse gases keeping forestland in forest use and managing (those in the atmosphere that warm the earth forests for fire resilience all have obvious positive because they let in light but do not let out heat), effects. Beyond that, recent research by forest CO2 is the most prevalent. Recent research has scientists has confirmed that wood products enabled scientists to determine historic CO2 continue to store carbon. atmospheric levels as well as rates of increase and decrease, and these data have helped put the For Oregon and the other Northwest states that situation today in historical perspective. are rich in forest resources, the role forestry can play in reducing atmospheric carbon has been of We know that forests contribute to clean air and key interest. This is evidenced even on the policy water and to wildlife habitat while providing front, where California, Oregon and Washington wood products and recreation. We know that have stepped ahead of the federal government in forests are dynamic and have changed both in addressing the issue. Forests contain about 75 location and species composition through percent of the earth’s biomass, so in a state like cooling and warming periods over the last Oregon, with its highly productive forests, the several million years. We know that climate sets per-acre potential for carbon storage is among the the stage for livability on earth. And, we know highest in the world. iii Forests, Carbon and Climate Change: A Synthesis of Science Findings Forest scientists have been studying the ■ keeping forestland in forest use (this means interactions of forests and climate for some ensuring that private forestlands can be time, and while there is, as might be expected, managed profitably as forests); some complexity and contradiction, there are ■ afforesting former forestlands that have been forest management strategies that can help in converted to non-forest uses and reforesting sequestering carbon or reducing its emission quickly and aggressively after harvest or into the atmosphere. These techniques include: natural disturbance; ■ using wood products and energy generated ■ reducing
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