Climate Change and Carbon Management USDA Forest Service Research and Development Dr. Richard A.
Download ReportTranscript Climate Change and Carbon Management USDA Forest Service Research and Development Dr. Richard A.
Climate Change and Carbon Management USDA Forest Service Research and Development Dr. Richard A. Birdsey Northeast Research Station Dr. Alexander L. Friend North Central Research Station Forest Service Centennial Congress January 3-6, 2005 Carbon and Climate CO2 Concentration (ppmv) 380 Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased by 25% since 1900. 360 340 320 300 280 0 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Global temperature has increased by about 1.5F since 1880. Source: Keeling, Whorf, and the Carbon Dioxide Research Group http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/ftp/trends/co2/maunaloa.co2; Friedli et al. (1996) http://cdiac.ornl.gov/ftp/trends/co2/siple2.013 How could vegetation change with increasing CO2 and warmer temps? Current Climate Warmer and wetter Warmer and dryer From Ron Neilson The Link Between Forests and Carbon Through photoCO2 synthesis, trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it. This “carbon sequestration” slows the build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere. Carbon is stored in a variety of places… Standing dead trees Live trees Down dead wood Understory Forest floor Soil organic carbon (1 m) From Linda Heath Role of U.S. Forests in Reducing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide U.S. forests capture about 2 billion tons of carbon every 10 years, and counteract 10% of our fossil fuel emissions. 25 Billion tons 20 15 10 This increase reflects the fact that U.S. forest growth has been increasing over the past 50 years. 5 0 1953 1963 1977 1987 1997 Increasing carbon stocks in U.S. forests (excludes soil carbon) Heath and Smith 2003 How Can We Manage Carbon? Storage of carbon in forests and wood products removes it from the atmosphere. Using wood for energy replaces fossil fuel; and CO2 emitted is reabsorbed by forests. Carbon Sequestration Bioenergy Carbon Management Opens New Horizons Carbon has economic value—about $2/ton in the United States Markets are developing for trading carbon credits (e.g., Chicago Climate Exchange) Carbon management of forests results in other societal benefits: • • • • • Timber production Biomass energy Ecological restoration Preservation Clean water and air Ecosystem Services Capturing the financial benefits of a forest ecosystem’s goods and services In addition to timber, forests provide many benefits: Clean water Wildlife habitat Recreation Carbon sequestration The economic value of non-timber benefits is substantial: Carbon sequestration by U.S. forests may be worth more than $1,000,000,000/year Some Ecosystem Services can be traded in the market place like other commodities. National Plan for Reducing CO2 Emissions Guidelines for reporting greenhouse gas emissions are being revised by a joint USDOE/USDA effort CO2 is the focus Program is voluntary Entities that register real increases in carbon storage may receive transferable credits Plan facilitates new targeted incentives for carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reductions In Summary Forests can help remove excess CO2 from our atmosphere while improving the quality of life for all of us. Acknowledgments: Funding for this exhibit and the programs represented from USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, North Central Research Station, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, and Michigan Technological University.