TEMPERATE FORESTS
Temperate forests are active carbon sinks and deforestation in the temperate zone has
largely stopped. Where demand for land and/or water allows, reforestation would enable
carbon sequestration and could provide other benefits including higher biodiversity and
recreation opportunities.
Temperate forests are found in climates with four distinct sea- of large woody above-ground organs and deep, coarse root sys-
sons, a well-defined winter and regular precipitation. They oc- tems, accounts for around 60% and soil carbon the remainder
cupy large areas of Asia, Europe and North America and are (Amundson 2001).
found mostly in developed nations. There are many different
types of temperate forests, some dominated by broad-leaved HUMAN IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR
trees and others by coniferous species, and they are generally CARBON MANAGEMENT
relatively high in animal and plant diversity. Because the soils Temperate forests, notably in Europe and North America, have
they generate are often very fertile much of the area once occu- been increasing in extent for several decades. In many areas,
pied by temperate forests has been converted to croplands and current management practices, such as relatively lengthy cut-
pasture and is now used for food production. ting cycles and appropriate fire regimes, have led to an enhanced
capacity for carbon storage. In consequence, temperate forests
Plant growth, decomposition and carbon cycling are rapid are currently considered to be overall carbon sinks. In Europe,
in temperate forests, with less carbon accumulating in the forests are estimated to be taking up 7–12% of European carbon
soil than in boreal forests or tundra. The overall carbon store emissions (Goodale et al. 2002; Janssens et al. 2003). Further
for these forests has been estimated at between 150 and 320 reforestation and improvements in management could increase
tonnes per hectare, of which plant biomass, chiefly in the form carbon sequestration in the short term (Jandl et al. 2007).
Tundra
Boreal forest
Temperate forest
Temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands
Desert and dry shrublands
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands
Tropical and subtropical forests
Source: adapted from Olson et al., 2001.
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