THE ROLE OF FORESTRY IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION - Economics of Sustainable Energy in Agriculture - page 142

the desire to obtain carbon credits. What happens in fossil fuel markets and
(future) markets for C uptake services will be pivotal in determing the
future of wood fibre in biomass burning.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors want to thank Anne-Hélène Mathey for providing some of the information in
the tables, and the Sustainable Forestry Management Network, University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Canada, for research support.
NOTES
1 Evidence indicates that forested areas are increasing in developed countries, particularly
those in the northern latitudes, so we focus only on deforestation in tropical regions.
2 Global data on the potential for C uptake via forest management is provided in Appendix
Table A.1.
3 Of course, it is not clear that the same methodology is used to calculate costs per unit of C
as in the case of the Canadian studies cited. For example, while the Canadian studies (as
well as US ones) discount physical carbon, the Global Environmental Facility recommends
against this. Reasons for discounting C in the case of forestry are discussed in more detail
by van Kooten et al. (1999).
4 Many studies have examined optimal protection of old-growth forests, with most concerned
about irreversibility and quasi-option value ( e.g. Conrad 1997). Van Kooten and Bulte
(1999) employed a deterministic framework, but included all amenity values, particularly C
sink and uptake benefits.
REFERENCES
Adams, D.M. R.J. Alig, B.A. McCarl, J.M. Callaway and S.M. Winnett (1999) Minimum
cost strategies for sequestering carbon in forests. Land Economics 75: 360-74.
Betts, R.A. (2000) Offset of the potential carbon sink from Boreal forestation by decreases
in surface albedo. Nature 408(9): 187-190.
Bromley, D. W. (1999) Sustaining development. Environmental resources in developing
countries, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK.
Callan, B.E. (1998) Diseases of Populus in British Columbia: A diagnostic manual.
Victoria, BC: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service. 157pp.
Canadian Pulp & Paper Association (2000) CPPA's discussion paper on climate change.
Montreal, PQ: CPPA. (As found at www.open.doors.cppa.ca, January.)
Caspersen, J.P., S.W. Pacala, J.C. Jenkins, G.C. Hurtt, P.R. Moorcroft and R.A. Birdsey
(2000) Contributions of land-use history to carbon accumulation in U.S. forests.
Science 290(10): 1148-1151.