Forest Sequestration Project
Forests store, or “sequester” carbon in their biomass fiber and root systems, soils, and coarse woody material. While they act as carbon “sinks,” absorbing carbon dioxide, forests also release the greenhouse gas through natural biological processes or when they are disturbed (i.e., through clear-cutting, harvesting, or burning). Employing sustainable forestry management practices can help reduce emissions and increase the forest’s ability to sequester carbon.
Background
The overwhelming proportion of forested land in northern New England and Eastern Canada is harvested for the forest products industry, and this is a key part of the economy for...
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Increasing forest sequestration has multiple benefits beyond reducing carbon emissions, including conserving forest and farm lands and stimulating demand for sustainable harvest practices and products.
Practices that increase sequestration include:
- Reforestation or afforestation (planting trees in previously non-forested areas);
- Forest management practices that favor retention of biomass on site and capture for use trees that die;
- Increasing the efficiency of resource production in the forestry and wood products industry;
- Forest conservation.
With funding provided by the USDA Forest Service, ENE and the Maine Forest Service are exploring the potential for increased carbon sequestration through new approaches to forest management in Maine. This effort is examining the biological potential for carbon sequestration and the potential for markets to support silvicultural practices to reduce GHG levels, increase yields and quality of timber and provide enhanced and diversified revenue streams to landowners while improving forest health.
