Lanterna Rally

Author: Mike Greig

Publisher:

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 58

ISBN-13:

In most ecosystems, the majority of the carbon is stored below ground as roots and decaying biomass or as organic carbon in the soil. [...] In both the forest and non-forest environment, when we measure the total carbon content we are measuring what is referred to as the "carbon stock." The carbon stored in forests is sequestered from the atmosphere through photosynthesis (the conversion of atmospheric CO2 into plant material using energy from the sun, releasing oxygen in the process) (Figure 1). [...] In some cases, acts of fire suppression and protection against insects lead to reductions in the affected areas and help maintain the level of carbon stored; however, uncertainty surrounds our ability to reduce the impacts of fire and insects on carbon over the long term or over large landscapes (see Section 2.2.1 below). [...] The Canadian Forest Service recently pointed out the important roles of forests and sustainable forest management in the global climate system: "forests play two important roles in the global climate system: first, they remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in trees, litter and soil carbon, and second, they provide timber, fibre and energy to meet human demands. [...] In the February 2008 Speech from the Throne, the Premier outlined the following new or existing measures to reduce the province's carbon footprint: the zero net deforestation goal, the Trees for Tomorrow program, the restocking of all forest land, the Forests for Tomorrow program,2 the Bioenergy Strategy, the Pacific Carbon Trust, and new investments in carbon offset projects that benefit First Na.