2024-03-22 19:38:20
SAN MICHEAL. Today marks the International Day of Forestsestablished byUnited Nations General Assembly in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of forests. Over a million data concerning forests all over the world, including those of Trentino, have converged in a scientific article, published by a consortium of sixty research institutions, participating in the “Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative”. Among these the Research and Innovation Center from the Edmund Mach Foundation of San Michele all’Adige.
These are surveys of forest biomass carried out by satellite and from the ground which quantify – on a global scale – the contribution of forests as agents for removing carbon from the atmospherehighlighting how careful management of forests could increase their capacity to store carbon.
The usefulness of research
Although the role of forests cannot replace the commitment to reducing climate-changing emissions at source, in pursuing the objective of reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the results of this study support the idea that the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of various forest ecosystems on our planet they make a valuable contribution to achieving global climate goals, while improving their biodiversity.
Atmospheric carbon and the role of forests
Forests play a fundamental role in the carbon cycle: during photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, transforming it into biomass. This process is known as carbon fixation. Forests store large amounts of carbon, mainly in their trees and soil. However, anthropogenic changes in land use, such as deforestation or changes in crops, are responsible for releasing large quantities of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to the increase in CO2 emissions, the main gas responsible for the greenhouse effect. .
The Fem. contribution
«Through the integration of remote sensing data with those collected on the ground, approximately one million study areas including Trentino – they explain Damiano Gianelle e Lorenzo Frizzera authors of the article -, it has been estimated that globally the carbon stored in forests is much lower 226 billion tons compared to their potential. Most (61%) of this storage deficit is found in areas with existing forests, where, by implementing ecosystem protection measures, forests can be allowed to develop to maturity, thus optimizing their capacity to absorb and store carbon. The rest 39% of the potential is found in regions where forests have been removed or fragmented.”
2024-03-22 19:38:20