A team of atmospheric and climate scientists from several European institutions has found that even if all human forest land management were to stop immediately, it would not be enough to offset global carbon emissions.Their study was reported in the journal chemistrythe group used mapping and AI applications to model the extent of forest regrowth and thus CO sequestration.2occurs under such a plan.
Over the years, many large companies have tried to manage their carbon footprint by dealing with carbon offsets or credits, paying others to participate in activities that remove carbon.2 Theoretically, the emissions from the atmosphere are offset. The biggest customers for such deals are those who manage large forests, such as parts of the Amazon. But the system is flawed, researchers argue. Simply returning land for forest use is not enough to overcome the problem of climate change.
To learn more about the impacts of cessation of forest use, including logging and other types of forest management, the research team used a global map depicting forest biomass in both managed and natural forests as a means of determining current conditions. combined. We then applied machine learning applications to examine past forest growth as a means of predicting new natural growth in forests around the world.
They were able to calculate the increase in global forest biomass that would occur if human forest activity ceased, reaching about 44.1 petagrams of carbon equivalent. The research team notes that this would result in a 15% to 16% increase in carbon stocks, equivalent to about four years of his current CO2.2 emissions. Therefore, regenerating forests naturally is not enough to stop the accumulation of carbon dioxide.2 It affects the atmosphere and thus climate change.
As part of the work, the team will also cover 1.6 million km2 Land will need to be replanted to compensate for just one year of CO2 emissions. In other words, it would be a land roughly the size of Alaska.
For more information:
Caspar TJ Roebroek et al, Freeing the world’s forests from human control: How much carbon can we store? chemistry (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.add5878
Magazine information:
chemistry
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