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In an article published in the world’s leading scientific journal Nature, with the participation of researchers from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, it was found that the protection, restoration and sustainable management of forests increase carbon sequestration, contributing to the achievement of climate goals.

The article ”Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential” was led by Lidong Mo from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, with contributions from more than 200 researchers from all over the world. In the study dedicated to carbon sequestration in forests, Diana Laarmann, Henn Korjus, and Mait Lang participated from the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

The research indicates that the additional potential for carbon storage in global forests is 226 gigatonnes (1 Gt equals 1 billion tonnes). Diana Laarmann, Associate Professor at the Chair of Forest Management, Landscape Planning and Wood Processing Technologies, explained that forests offer an important opportunity for slowing down climate change. “However, it is very important to realize that forests alone are not sufficient, greenhouse gas emissions must also be reduced. To achieve results, we need joint efforts by countries to preserve and restore biodiversity," said Laarmann, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in dealing with the climate crisis.

The authors of the article argue that in order to restore global biodiversity, it is essential to stop deforestation. While forests alone are not enough to prevent the climate crisis - it is necessary to also reduce greenhouse gas emissions - the results of the article indicate that the protection, restoration and sustainable management of forests can support climate goals by reducing emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. The research also cautions that ongoing rises in emissions pose a threat to forests, leading to more frequent occurrences of droughts, fires and a warming climate, limiting its sequestering capability.

Due to deforestation and forest degradation, the total carbon stored in the world's forests is approximately 328 Gt lower than what the natural state would allow. A considerable amount of land suitable for forest is used for other purposes, including urban and agricultural lands. Outside the aforementioned land uses, forests have the potential for an additional carbon sequestration of approximately 226 Gt. More than a half of this potential can be realized through the restoration of degraded forests and sustainable management, with the remainder achieved by expanding the forested area. As the results presented in the article were derived from the combination and modelling of extensive datasets, it must be noted that the results are approximate and include significant uncertainties.

In this extensive study, the international team of scientists, led by ETH Zurich, used on-site and satellite data gathered from 1.19 million forest study plots, and various data analysis methods. Diana Laarmann explained that this also included data from the permanent sample plots of the Estonian Network of Forest Research Plots. “We take measurements on these plots every year, and have been doing so for almost 30 years. The same plots are measured at intervals of 5 years. The work is funded by Environmental Investment Centre grants,” said Laarman, emphasizing the consistency and significance of the Estonian dataset.

The article can be found at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06723-z