Waldbewirtschaftung zur Senkenerhöhung? Mögliche Konfliktfelder und Synergien | Increasing carbon sinks by forest management? Conflicts and synergies

Abstract

A new function of forests was brought into focus by the Kyoto Protocol: forests as carbon sinks. Switzerland decided to have forest management taken into account under the Kyoto Protocol (Art. 3.4). This new forest function brings about new conflicts. The Swiss Forestry statistics and the Swiss National Forest Inventory show harvesting amounts are increasing and the trend seems set to continue. In a study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) different forest management scenarios were analyzed as was their influence both on the amount harvested in the long term and the forest sink effect. The study focussed on the following question: How can increased forest management be combined with forest carbon sinks and where are the limits? The scenarios range from reduced forest management and corresponding forest carbon sinks to a reduction of growing stock with corresponding carbon sources. Results show that for a limited time span both aspects can be considered on a national scale. Further studies should focus on interactions with other forest functions such as preservation of biodiversity, damage to forests and the effect of climate change.