NOVEMBER, 2015
Taking stock of carbon pools in
Alberta’s forests
To mitigate the effects of climate change, governments strive to balance out CO2 emissions from
human activity with carbon pools in nature, like forests.
“Every country hopes for a carbon-neutral economy,” says Dr.
Fangliang He, a University of Alberta ecologist who holds the
Canada Research Chair in Biodiversity and Landscape Modelling.
One of the best ways to do this is by encouraging the growth of
forests, since trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. But to do
this effectively, a government needs to know how much forested
area exists, and how quickly it’s growing: “This way, they can
estimate how much carbon the land absorbs.”
The trouble is, not all forests absorb the same amount of CO2—
this depends upon a number of factors, including the species of
trees and the age of the forest (dying forests can actually release
CO2 into the air, and younger forests can absorb a
disproportionate share of CO2).
In a three-year research project funded by Alberta Innovates Bio
Solutions, Dr. He is studying the distribution of forest biomass
across Alberta. Using computer modelling and remote sensing, he
and his team are determining how much carbon is being absorbed
by forests and where the “carbon hot spots” are located. The work
also involves identifying and analyzing factors (like human
activities, silvicultural practices, and climate change) that affect
forest carbon pools and their distributions.
University of Alberta ecologist, Dr. Fangliang He
says one of the best ways to counter carbon dioxide
emissions from human activity is to encourage the
growth of forests, since trees absorb emissions from
the atmosphere.
Now that the research is winding down, Dr. He hopes to have data
that will help government and the general public know how much
carbon we have in our backyard and where it’s located. This
information could help industry and government avoid disturbing
these carbon pools with tree harvesting or the building of new
communities, for instance.
The forestry sector will also benefit from the data, says Dr. He:
“Knowing how forests are changing is very important for forest
management, as well.”
For more information about this project, visit
www.BioLINK.albertainnovates.ca and search for project number
“VCS-11-062.”
ALBERTA INNOVATES BIO SOLUTIONS
This story was published in the November 2015 issue of the Alberta
Innovates Bio Solutions e-newsletter.
For more information on Alberta’s research and innovation system visit the
Alberta Innovates website at www.albertainnovates.ca.
WWW.BIO.ALBERTAINNOVATES.CA
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