Transcript Carbon storage and capture

Mitigation
The evidence for the
potential to use
protected areas in
carbon storage and
capture
nigel dudley
equilibrium research
The challenge
• Vegetation loss is already responsible
for around 20% of global greenhouse
gas emissions
…and furthermore…
• Many ecosystems that are currently
sinks for CO2 could soon “flip” and
become net sources due to climate
change and other human impacts
The opportunity
Natural ecosystems offer two key functions
• Storing existing carbon in vegetation and
soils and thus preventing further loss
• Capturing additional carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere and thus reducing net
greenhouse gas levels
Carbon storage
Major carbon stores exist in
soil, forest, peat and inland
waters, grassland, mangroves,
coastal marshes and sea grass
Estimates for the amount of
carbon stored in tropical
forests range from 170-250
tonnes carbon/hectare
Kinabatangan Nature Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia, bottom inset from Lamington NP, Australia
Carbon storage
Peat is probably a larger store
– an estimated 550 Gt stored
globally. But 2008 emissions
from degraded peat were
estimated at 1,298 Mt, plus
over 400 Mt from peat fires
Urho Kekkosen National Park, Finland
Carbon storage
Mangroves, sea grass beds
and salt marshes all store
substantial amounts of
carbon although these
sources have been largely
ignored until now
Marine reserve at Arniston Bay, South Africa, insets from Wales, Mexico and Bahamas
Carbon storage
Grasslands may hold more
than 10% of the total carbon
in the biosphere, but
mismanagement and
conversion is causing major
losses in places – grassland
remains one of the most unprotected biomes
Nyika National Park, Malawi, insets from Uruguay and South Australia
Carbon storage
Estimates of soil carbon vary
widely but it is thought to be
the largest terrestrial store.
Agriculture is often a source
rather than sink but changes
in farming (less tillage, more
organic methods etc) can
reverse this and help to build
carbon stocks
Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, UK, insets from Switzerland
Carbon capture
Most ecosystems can also
continue to capture carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere
Carbon capture
Both young and old forests
also capture significant
amounts of carbon dioxide, as
do peatlands, grasslands and
many marine ecosystems
Recent research in the
Amazon, Congo Basin and in
boreal forests all show that
old-growth forests continue to
sequester carbon
Bwindi National Park, Uganda, insets from Ecuador and Finland
Carbon capture
The success of
sequestration from
commercial forests
depends on what the
timber is used for…
Uruguay
Carbon capture
Knowledge of
management needs for
carbon sequestration in
other habitats is also
increasing fast
Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve, Wales, restored from conifer plantation
Carbon storage
and capture
There is a huge potential to
protect natural ecosystems to
help store carbon – and to
supply many other important
goods and services
Amber National Park, Madagascar
Carbon storage
and capture
But on the other hand,
many ecosystems risk
switching from being sinks
to sources of carbon due to
degradation and climate
change…
Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia
Degraded peatland in west Kalimantan, Island of Borneo, Indonesia
Northern Canada
Carbon storage
and capture
Protected areas are the
most effective tool yet
found for maintaining
carbon in natural
vegetation
Oulanka National Park, Finland
Implications
New skills, tools and
funding opportunities will
be needed to make best
use of available
management options
Thank you
FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Proposed action
Timing
Responsibility