Forest management helps mitigate climate change

(Editor's note: We apologize for all the climate change articles the last few days. These things tend to go in cycles. Or maybe after all the profligacy of the holiday season and faced with the prospect of a new year, it's time for a hefty dose of climate change sobriety.)

FORT COLLINS, Colo. The U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) has released a new scientific summary regarding forest management methods to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Integrated Management of Carbon Sequestration and Biomass Utilization Opportunities in a Changing Climate: Proceedings of the 2009 National Silviculture Workshop; 2009 June 15-18; Boise, ID, (RMRS-P- 61) contains scientific findings concerning how the forest environment is changing, treatment effects on carbon pools such as forests, computerized tools for simulating forest growth, models for collaboration and more. The ability of trees to withdraw carbon from the atmosphere --carbon equestration-- is considered one of the most important steps in reducing the effects of climate change.

Forests and soils act as carbon pools because of their ability to store carbon from the atmosphere. Foresters challenged by how to manage vegetation in a changing climate will benefit from research findings summarized in these proceedings.

“This was one of the first meetings where scientists and managers discussed the challenges of forest management in addressing issues of carbon sequestration, climate change and biomass utilization,” said RMRS Research Forester, Dr. Theresa Jain, who presented a paper at the workshop and was an editor of the proceedings.

To view the report on the web go to http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_p061.html or to order a free copy send your name, organization, and address to Publications Distribution, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 or visit our website at www.fs.fed.us/rm/publications.