Sue Neales Mercury
PIONEERING forest research by the Australian National University has found Tasmania’s native forests contain up to six times as much natural carbon than previously thought. The ANU research team, led by plant ecologist Brendan Mackey believes the new evidence may force a “rethink” of national and state policies that encourage logging of native forests. Other key ANU findings were that: • The carbon storage capacity of Australia’s native forests, particularly in Victoria and Tasmania, had been seriously underestimated. • Economic valuations and policy options have been misrepresented and distorted. • Commercial harvesting of Australia’s native forests leads to carbon loss and a reduction in the ability of the forests to offset harmful carbon gas emissions. • Carbon accounting methods for forests must change from a focus on total deforestation to the losses sustained when a logged forests is no longer able to store as much carbon. Read more here
Mercury, Wednesday 6: No move to spare carbon rich forests
