Healthy Forests & Carbon

British Columbia forests are a mosaic of different forest types with different forest ecologies and life cycles. Historically - or at least since the last ice age - these forests have been rotating themselves in keeping with their natural cycle. Most interior pine forests, for example, live for about 120 years and then succumb to either insects or disease, prior to being cleansed by fire and regenerating themselves from the seeds that come from their fire-resistant cones.

In the past century, however, we've stopped allowing wildfires to burn unchecked and, as a result, the average age of our forests has increased. As a tree becomes over-mature, its growth rate declines, and the rate of carbon absorption is reduced. Older trees add less new wood each year and start releasing their stored carbon into the atmosphere as they decompose.

Pests and disease are a natural part of forest ecosystems and maintain a certain level of biodiversity in our stands. Recently, climate change (combined with the increase of over mature pine in our interior forests) has caused an unprecedented outbreak of mountain pine beetle. BC is now experiencing a major forest disaster as most of its mature pine forests have been or are under attack. Dead trees eventually start to decay, releasing the carbon stored in the wood. They are also more susceptible to lightning strikes and fire, which represents a rapid release of CO₂.

As a result, we have thousands of hectares of dead pine forests that are slowly breaking down and releasing CO₂ — and which are also preventing the regeneration of new forests that could absorb CO₂.

With this in mind, keeping British Columbia forests healthy is essential to maximizing CO₂ absorption and minimizing CO₂ release. And harvesting trees when CO₂ intake starts to decline also makes good carbon sense. Prompt regeneration with fast-growing young trees increases absorption, and conversion of the harvested wood into products maintains the sequestered carbon in a neutral and locked capacity.