Forest Pack Effects

[Agnella Datson]

Themajority of the deforestation is linked to meat, soya and palm oil. Huge swathes of tropical forest are removed so the land can be used for growing soya to feed farm animals like pigs and poultry. All to meet the insatiable global demand for cheap meat.

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Trees remove air pollution by the interception of particulate matter on plant surfaces and the absorption of gaseous pollutants through the leaf stomata. However, the magnitude and value of the effects of trees and forests on air quality and human health across the United States remains unknown. Computer simulations with local environmental data reveal that trees and forests in the conterminous United States removed 17.4 million tonnes (t) of air pollution in 2010 (range: 9.0-23.2 million t), with human health effects valued at 6.8 billion U.S. dollars (range: $1.5-13.0 billion). This pollution removal equated to an average air quality improvement of less than one percent. Most of the pollution removal occurred in rural areas, while most of the health impacts and values were within urban areas. Health impacts included the avoidance of more than 850 incidences of human mortality and 670,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms.

In the United States, forests occupy approximately 740 million acres, about one third of the country's total land area.[2] America's forests provide many benefits and services to society, including clean water and air, recreation, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, climate regulation, and a variety of forest products.[2] Climate influences the structure and function of forest ecosystems and plays an essential role in forest health. A changing climate may worsen many of the threats to forests, such as pest outbreaks, fires, human development, and drought.

Extent and type of forest cover in the United States. View larger: U.S. Forest Service, National Atlas.Climate changes directly and indirectly affect the growth and productivity of forests through changes in temperature, rainfall, weather, and other factors. In addition, elevated levels of carbon dioxide have an effect on plant growth. These changes influence complex forest ecosystems in many ways.

In conjunction with the projected impacts of climate change, forests face impacts from land development, suppression of natural periodic forest fires, and air pollution. Although it is difficult to separate the effects of these different factors, the combined impact is already leading to changes in our forests. As these changes are likely to continue in the decades ahead, some of the valuable goods and services provided by forests may be compromised. To learn more about examples of projected regional changes in forests, see the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Alaska regional impacts pages.

Many aspects related to climate change are likely to affect forest growth and productivity. Three examples are described below: increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, and increases in carbon dioxide (CO2).

Projected shifts in forest types. The maps show recent and projected forest types. Major changes are projected for many regions. For example, in the Northeast, under a lower emissions scenario, the currently dominant maple-beech-birch forest type (red shading) is projected to be displaced by the oak-hickory forest type in a warmer future. Source: USGCRP (2009)

Click the image to view a larger version.

Climate change could alter the frequency and intensity of forest disturbances such as insect outbreaks, invasive species, wildfires, and storms. These disturbances can reduce forest productivity and change the distribution of tree species. In some cases, forests can recover from a disturbance. In other cases, existing species may shift their range or die out. In these cases, the new species of vegetation that colonize the area create a new type of forest.

Disturbances can interact with one another, or with changes in temperature and precipitation, to increase risks to forests. For example, drought can weaken trees and make a forest more susceptible to wildfire or insect outbreaks. Similarly, wildfire can make a forest more vulnerable to pests.[2][3] The combination of drought and outbreaks of beetles has damaged pion pine forests in the Southwest.

2. CCSP (2008). The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the United States. Chapter 3: Land Resources: Forest and Arid Lands. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Backlund, P. , A. Janetos, D. Schimel, J. Hatfield, K. Boote, P. Fay, L. Hahn, C. Izaurralde, B.A. Kimball, T. Mader, J. Morgan, D. Ort, W. Polley, A. Thomson, D. Wolfe, M. Ryan, S. Archer, R. Birdsey, C. Dahm, L. Heath, J. Hicke, D. Hollinger, T. Huxman, G. Okin, R. Oren, J. Randerson, W. Schlesinger, D. Lettenmaier, D. Major, L. Poff, S. Running, L. Hansen, D. Inouye, B.P. Kelly, L Meyerson, B. Peterson, and R. Shaw. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.

Worst of all, climate change could result in the mass release of terrestrial (stored in the soil and plants) carbon dioxide. Where boreal forests were once sinks that locked down carbon, they may become sources, compounding the effects of climate change.

Massive forest fires do more than destroy trees. As wood burns it releases carbon back into the atmosphere, freeing it from sequestration. But forests are far more than trees alone. Boreal forest soils also contain enormous amounts of carbon in the form of fallen leaves, needles and other organic matter. Once the trees have been burned, boreal forest soils continue to release carbon for another 100 years (5).

Climate limits the geographic distribution of pests. Late spring frosts help control outbreaks of insect pests in the northern reaches of the forest. The cold may be responsible for limiting insect damage at higher latitudes, effectively protecting the forest from mass defoliation. With increased global temperatures, killing frosts may no longer occur, allowing outbreaks to continue unabated in northern boreal forests.

At the northern reaches of the province the forest would not necessarily regain lost ground. While temperatures may allow for tree growth beyond the current range, the arctic soils would prevent the forest from spreading further.

Deforestation contributes to climate change. Cleared land releases tonnes of greenhouse gases. Needles, leaves, branches and roots left behind by logging operations decompose and emit carbon dioxide and water vapour.

Waterlogged peat soils rich in organic matter drain and dry up without trees to shade and stabilize them. When exposed to air, they decompose releasing methane and more carbon dioxide. In many countries, cleared land is burned, completely freeing any remaining carbon directly to the atmosphere. The amount of carbon sequestered in Canadian peatlands is equivalent to 100 years worth of fossil-fuel combustion (11).

Climate changing emissions trap heat in our atmosphere, altering long-term weather patterns, or climate. Where rains once fell, there is drought. When there was frost, there is unseasonable heat. Our actions will affect forests and their inhabitants in many other ways (12):

While forestry and forestry products are a valuable part of our provincial economy, we must consider their impact on climate change. If not, disrupted and climate-stressed forests may force unpleasant decisions on us in the future (14).:

10) Stennes, B., E. Krcmar-Nozic and G.C. van Kooten, 1998, Climate Change and Forestry: What Policy for Canada? Forest Economics and Policy Analysis Research Unit, University of British Columbia. Vanvouver, B.C. 13pp

14) Stennes, B.. E. Krcmar-Nozic and G.C. van Kooten, 1998, Climate Change and Forestry: What Policy for Canada? Forest Economics and Policy Analysis Research Unit, University of British Columbia. Vanvouver, B.C. 13pp

Most of us sense that taking a walk in a forest is good for us. We take a break from the rush of our daily lives. We enjoy the beauty and peace of being in a natural setting. Now, research is showing that visiting a forest has real, quantifiable health benefits, both mental and physical. Even five minutes around trees or in green spaces may improve health. Think of it as a prescription with no negative side effects that's also free.

Numerous studies in the U.S. and around the world are exploring the health benefits of spending time outside in nature, green spaces, and, specifically, forests. Recognizing those benefits, in 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries even coined a term for it: shinrin-yoku. It means taking in the forest atmosphere or "forest bathing," and the ministry encourages people to visit forests to relieve stress and improve health.

Exposure to forests boosts our immune system. While we breathe in the fresh air, we breathe in phytoncides, airborne chemicals that plants give off to protect themselves from insects. Phytoncides have antibacterial and antifungal qualities which help plants fight disease. When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number and activity of a type of white blood cell called natural killer cells or NK. These cells kill tumor- and virus-infected cells in our bodies. In one study, increased NK activity from a 3-day, 2-night forest bathing trip lasted for more than 30 days. Japanese researchers are currently exploring whether exposure to forests can help prevent certain kinds of cancer.

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