WORKS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE FOREST CARBON FARMS PROJECT HAVE JUST STARTED [VIDEO]

The performance of field research within the scope of the Forest Carbon Farms project in Dojlidy and Płaska forest districts has just started. The research was conducted by the Bureau for Forest Management and Geodesy (BULiGL) under the supervision of the employees working for forest districts and RDSF in Białystok.
21.04.2017 | KATARZYNA GUROWSKA, RDSF IN BIAŁYSTOK

The performance of field research within the scope of the Forest Carbon Farms project in Dojlidy and Płaska forest districts has just started. The research was conducted by the Bureau for Forest Management and Geodesy (BULiGL) under the supervision of the employees working for forest districts and RDSF in Białystok.

In connection with launching the inventory works within the project, the BULiGL branch  in Białystok has initiated works regarding collection of organic material in accordance with a methodology ratified by the Director-General of the State Forests. From among spruce tree stands aged 40-70 years a tree stand typical because of a few various features have been selected, in which an inventory has been performed and 10 relascope areas have been determined.

On the basis of these areas and measurements made for 20 average trees from of the representative part of the  division, the basal area was determined and the parametres of so called model tree were established.

Next, ‘a model spruce’ was selected around which the basic carbon cell was established with a radius calculated according to a special formula. Within marked area the organic material from each forest layer was collected and special outcrop was dug in order to study carbon contribution in soil.

Forestry Services Company workers processed collected organic material and helped prepare specimens for laboratory.

The samples will be closely examined in the Forest Research Institute laboratory and The Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in order to determine the content of carbon. The implementation of this part of task will allow a precise inventory of a fragment of forest ecosystem, conventionally named a basic carbon unit.

There were designated 26 forest districts located in various parts  of Poland, whose joint area of Forest Carbon Farms amounts to not more than a dozen 10-odd thousand hectares.

The Forest Carbon Farms project involves using forests in CO2 absorption and increasing gradually its role in this process. This will be achieved by modifying methods of forest management in order to stimulate CO2 absorption and  enhance forest biodiversity as well as to intensify wood production.    

Forest resources are natural live “carbon container” in organic form being the consequence of photosynthesis and, interestingly, in  lots of  chemical compounds in every element of forest ecosystem. Carbon can be found mainly in organic matter, which in living and non-living form comprises each forest layer: soil, litter, ground cover, understorey and each tree stand layer.

The more carbon sequestered by forest ecosystems, the less it goes as carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Additional CO2 absorption in forest carbon farms will involve, for example: planting proper tree species and performing silviculture treatments in order to obtain tree stands, which will absorb as much carbon dioxide as possible. In that way the importance of forests in reduction the influence of expected climate change will increase.

In 2017 the State Forests launched the experimental pilot task regarding the sales of units of the absorbed CO2. The funds coming from the sales of removal units will be spent on joint projects of the SF and local government units. The aim of this project is to reduce emission of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere and increase its absorption.