14 Pallets West
JULY 2018
Potter co-edited the report with Barbara Conkling, also a Center cooperator and NCSU scientist.
Scientists from across the Forest Service as well as university researchers, state partners, and many other experts contributed to the 2017 FHM report, which is the only national summary of forest health undertaken on an annual basis. The report includes short- and long-term forest health assessments from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. It also summarizes the status and trends of a variety of forest health indicators.
The 2017 FHM report (click here to read) reflects findings from the previous year. According to Potter, the state of U.S. forests as of 2016 is “troubling.” “We have a great deal of forest in the United States, and much of it is in good shape,” says Potter. “At the same time, fires, insects and diseases, and droughts are impacting forest health in many places, and some of those forests may be altered permanently.”
How Much More Carbon Can Our Forests Sequester?
Sequestering gains of only 22% over the next six decades the represent best-case scenario, according to the conclusions of recent research.
Researchers have calculated the capacity of North American forests to sequester carbon in a detailed analysis that for the first time integrates the effects of two key factors: the natural process of forest growth and regeneration, and climate changes that are likely to alter the growth process over the next 60 years.
The result is a compelling picture that's of great value, because forests play a critical role in mitigating the effects of climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, storing the carbon in their wood.
"There's a lot of hope that our forests will soak up the carbon dioxide we're producing, but the capacity of our forests is limited," said lead researcher Kai Zhu, an assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Zhu's team found that North American forests have reached 78 percent of their capacity to sequester carbon and will gain only 22% capacity—at most—over the next 60 years. That's a cautionary finding that has implications for forest managers, climate scientists, and policy makers.