Global demand for wood products is increasing, as are calls for protecting tropical forests from deforestation. In boreal regions, where much of the forest has not been previously logged, demand has led to clear-cutting of such old, “primary” forest. Pascual et al. showed the potential impacts of clearing primary boreal forests by comparing the carbon storage of primary and secondary (previously logged) forests in Sweden. Including vegetation, dead wood, wood products, and soils, primary forests stored over 70% more carbon than secondary forests, a difference several times greater than previous estimates. These results reveal previously underappreciated value in protecting primary boreal forests.
Just realised these boreal forest are becoming more accessible due to climate change. Though I also learned that net winter temperatures are actualy already dropping in Northern-Europe. So it’s acually getting colder due to arctic winterwinds and the weakening of the AMOC.
Anyway, better leave these forests be please.
