Forests - the essential climate fix

The real carbon emission story, however, is much more complex. The tragic fires of February 2009, just like previous large fires, did release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. However, contrary to what one might assume from the huge plumes of smoke released into the sky, the vast majority of the forest carbon remains after a bushfire. In South-Eastern Australia’s eucalypt forests, much of the carbon is in the soil and in the large trees, dead tree trunks and large branches. Very little of this is combusted, even if trees themselves are destroyed. Most of the emissions come from burning bark, leaves and litter (twigs, dead leaves, fallen bark), and these are a relatively minor component of total carbon stocks. Eighty to 90 per cent of carbon is still stored in Australia’s southeastern eucalypt forests after a fire.

Despite the increasing understanding within the international and scientific communities that natural forests are a vital part of climate change mitigation, logging of old-growth forests in Victoria continues.

Most recently, in 2006, the Victorian ALP Government recognised the importance of preserving the region, making a pre-election promise to “immediately protect significant stands of old-growth forest in Victoria”. But VicForests (the state government’s commercial forestry arm) has contravened this commitment, and continues to target logging of old growth forests such as the ancient trees at Brown Mountain.

Although climate change policy in Australia has largely been focused on reducing emissions from fossil fuel burning, if we continue to ignore the role of natural forests in the carbon cycle, we will not be able to prevent dangerous climate change. It is vital that we stop logging natural forests, and instead source our wood from existing plantations. The sheer magnitude of the climate problem now means that Australia must address how forest degradation on our own soil is contributing to this global crisis.

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