At the UN climate talks the definition of ‘forest’ is under examination. A major problem with the current defiition of a forest used in the Kyoto Protocol is that it makes no distinction between, among other things, planted crops of monoculture perennial woody plants and complex biodiverse natural forests.
Natural forests are an ecosystem and are biodiverse, resilient and they contain more stored carbon than a plantation.Natural forests are an essential part of the global carbon cycle, and have played, and continue to play, a major role in modulating the strength of the greenhouse affect. It is vital that the definition of forest is changed so the protection and restoration of natural forests is prioritised.
It is critical that the definition of ‘forest’ in the next global climate deal is ammended so that a natural forest is defined as a terrestrial ecosystem generated and maintained primarily through natural ecological and evolutionary processes.
Plantations are not forests so they need to be defined as a crop of trees planted and regularly harvested by humans.
It is critical that plantations are treated seperately to natural forests in the next global climate deal.
We need your help. Contact PM RUDD and ask him to pledge to protect the world’s NATURAL FORESTS today.
Check out this paper on forest definition http://unfccc.int/files/methods_science/redd/applicatio/pdf/seancadman1_12nov08.pdf
Footnote:
The current definition used for reporting and accounting purposes under the Kyoto Protocol (hereafter, KP) is structurally based comprising:
A minimum area of land of 0.05 hectares with tree crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10 per cent with trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2 metres at maturity in situ.
It includes (i) young stands of natural regeneration; (ii) all plantations which have yet to reach a crown density of 10-30 per cent or tree height of 2-5 metres; (iii) areas normally forming part of the forest area which are temporarily unstocked as a result of human intervention such as harvesting or natural causes but which are expected to revert to forest.
