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23 Jun 2008
Number:
041
Despite their intensive use, European forests absorb a significant portion of the CO2 emissions in Europe. As a result, they help to slow global warming. During the past 50 years, the European forests have developed into carbon sinks. This is due to a major improvement in sustainable forest management over the years, say European researchers, including staff from Alterra, which is part of Wageningen UR. The European researchers reported on a large-scale research project involving European forests in the July issue of Nature Geoscience.
The researchers expect that the relatively young European forests will be able to absorb much more carbon dioxide in the decades to come if the wood harvest remains at the current level. In recent years, these forests absorbed more than 10% of the European CO2 emissions. If the increasing demand for biofuel leads to more intensive use of the forests, the natural storage of carbon can decline, warn the researchers.
The European forests are used intensively for recreation, protection of groundwater, protection against landslides, and of course for wood production. Besides harvesting wood for construction and the paper industry, biomass is also obtained from branches, treetops and sawmill waste. Since 1950, the existing biomass has doubled in all Member States of the EU. This unexpected increase can be attributed to a combination of factors: restoration of the European forests following overexploitation before and during the Second World War, forest planting, sustainable forest management and nitrogen deposition. Increased growth caused by higher levels of atmospheric CO2 and the longer growing seasons have certainly contributed to the spectacular increase as well. On the other side of the equation, the wood harvest has remained relatively constant, which made it possible for the forests to sequester large quantities of carbon.
The large research project comprises an analysis of the data from national forest surveys taken during the past 50 years. During a forest survey, the diameter and height of trees are measured at thousands of test locations. These surveys are repeated every 10 years, enabling the researchers to estimate wood production and biomass. The project involved researchers from France, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Belgium, the USA, Germany, Norway and Romania. Participants from Wageningen UR included Dr. ir. Mart-Jan Schelhaas and Dr. ir. Gert-Jan Nabuurs (both from Alterra).
Note to the editor
For more information, please contact Mart-Jan Schelhaas, Alterra, Wageningen UR, tel: 0317 485 884, e-mail: martjan.schelhaas@wur.nl, or Bouke de Vos, Press Information Wageningen UR, tel: 0317 480 180, e-mail: bouke.devos@wur.nl.
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