WOODLAND REPORT

Woodland Report

Woodland Report

Introduction

As long as the greenhouse gas emissions and reductions from a woodland creation project are not counted twice by different organisations, organisations can invest in project ton land that they own, lease or rent. Issues surrounding double counting are outlined in the Woodland Carbon Code5. The Woodland Carbon Code has been developed by the Forestry Commission working with a 'Carbon Advisory Group' involving independent forestry sector, environmental and carbon project representation. The Code aims to support a move to a low carbon economy through encouraging investment in the establishment of woodlands in the UK for climate change mitigation. It sets out robust requirements for voluntary carbon sequestration projects that incorporate core principles of good carbon management as part of modern sustainable forest management. The Bayfordbury estate consists of a range of habitat types and is generally species rich. The area where the proposed building is planned consists of the footprint of the old John Innes potting shed, the old school hut and surrounds. From many previous visits to this exact spot I can visualize the large beaver pond on my left where bald cypress and tupelo gum stand like immense monuments from the past. I can also visualize that on my right lies a mammoth, almost pristine, hardwood ridge where oak, beech, hickory, and walnut trees thrive in abundance. Their acorns and nuts littering the leaf covered ground, making this ridge a true smorgasbord for many animals of the forest.

Deforestation is a significant global issue. Some 13M ha of forest are destroyed annually throughout the world, resulting in significant loss of biodiversity and in some cases leading to soil erosion problems. The world's forests are a major carbon sink and play a significant role in the global carbon cycle but deforestation releases the carbon stored in forest ecosystems and is responsible for almost one fifth of the annual emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Forests and deforestation are therefore very important elements in the process of climate change (Walle, 2003, 20).

Forestry is a significant carbon sink for Scotland, with carbon accumulated in growing trees, deadwood and organic matter, and by incorporation into forest soils. Annual removals of CO2 from the atmosphere by Scotland's existing forests equate to around 10% of Scotland's annual greenhouse gas emissions. Woodland creation offers a practical and readily achievable way to improve Scotland's greenhouse gas balance. Whilst mature woodlands eventually reach a steady state of carbon accumulation and emission, this takes many decades and may provide vital 'breathing space' for the development of low carbon and carbon capture technologies.

Woods also provide a sustainable source of near carbon-neutral raw materials. Substituting one tonne of concrete or brick with one tonne of timber saves around one tonne of CO2 emissions. The figures for steel and aluminium are much higher. The use of timber frame methods of house building are widespread in Scotland, but there are opportunities to increase this, to increase the use of timber-based building systems for commercial buildings, and to use ...