position e-paper: Burning wood is not climate-neutral this clarifies a team of scientists around Prof. Dr. Pierre Ibisch from the University for Sustainable Development in Eberswalde (HNEE, Germany) on the basis of worldwide research work. Even the use of wood in durable products can be detrimental to the climate – especially when the harvesting of wood impairs the functionality of forests.
climate
Study: The researchers found that the rate of decay of the deadwood is influenced by the tree species, temperature and precipitation. The shortest deadwood residence times were for wood derived from beech (F. sylvatica). In the warmest locations 90% of the biomass had decomposed after 27 years, in the average locations after 35 years and in the coldest locations after 54 years.
Study: The leaf canopy of the forests functions like an insulating layer. This protects the organisms living under it from the effects of global warming. On average, the maximum temperatures in the forest are 4°C lower than in the open. This shows how important the buffer effect of forests can be in climate change.
Study: The leaf canopy of the forests functions like an insulating layer. This protects the organisms living under it from the effects of global warming. On average, the maximum temperatures in the forest are 4°C lower than in the open. This shows how important the buffer effect of forests can be in climate change.
Study: Species-rich subtropical forests can absorb on average twice as much carbon as monocultures. With a mixture of native tree species, it is therefore possible to achieve higher productivity and thus better protect the climate.
Study: Even old trees absorb a lot of carbon and thus remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Old trees thus also make an important contribution to climate protection. This has now been proven for the first time in a study conducted by the University of Hamburg.