Given the proven high value of native forests, you'd think the protection of native trees would be a no-brainer in this country. But for some reason, politicians have been persuaded otherwise, writes Dame Anne Salmond
A couple of months ago, a global collective of leading scientists issued a Scientists' warning to humanity about the fate of indigenous forests. They began by observing that, according to the latest evidence, one third of the world’s tree species are at risk of extinction.
Since trees play a pivotal role in many of the systems that support life on earth, including the water cycle and the carbon cycle, and provide habitat for at least half of the world’s terrestrial plant and animal species, this is likely to trigger system failures and extinction cascades that put the future of humanity itself at risk – just as climate change is increasing the risks of catastrophic fires and diseases.
In this authoritative survey, the scientists sounded a clarion call, warning that the fate of forests and human beings are inextricably tied together. As they point out, indigenous forests provide around three quarters of the world's accessible freshwater, regulating surface and groundwater flows, maintaining high water quality through filtration and reducing water-related risks such as floods and droughts.
They protect soil from erosion and reduce downstream sedimentation in rivers and harbours; enhance soil strength and structure, and maintain the biological activity on which soil fertility depends.
They also include 80 percent of Earth's total terrestrial plant biomass, and collectively contain more carbon than is stored in the atmosphere. Natural forests store more carbon than plantations, and they continue to store carbon over timescales of centuries.
To quote them, “Old-growth forests are of particular importance, playing a crucial role both in the storage and sequestration of atmospheric carbon. According to recent research, the net carbon balance of forests between 15 and 800 years of age is usually positive, indicating that old-growth forests can continue to accumulate carbon even when most trees have reached maturity…
"Forests contain around 80 percent of amphibian species, 75 percent of bird species and 68 percent of the world's mammal species. The vast majority of the world's invertebrate species, perhaps as many as 10 million species, are also found in forests. The same is true for other mega-diverse groups, such as soil bacteria, fungi and nematodes.”
Extinction cascades from the loss of tree species are disrupting fundamental ecosystem processes, “including decomposition rates, nutrient fluxes, carbon sequestration and energy flow; and profound changes in the dynamics of associated aquatic ecosystems.
"Protection of natural forests therefore needs to be a central component of approaches to mitigation of climate change.”
Given this ominous warning, you’d think the protection and expansion of natural forests in response to climate change would be a no-brainer. In Aotearoa New Zealand, for example, where a range of extinction cascades are already under way, with 4000 native species at risk, you’d suppose the protection and expansion of native forests would be a key element in our climate change framework.
Indeed, the Climate Change Commission has grasped this point, and recommended a significant expansion of indigenous forests for carbon sequestration in New Zealand.
How about our politicians? They also got the point (at least for a while), and proposed to reserve the incoming category of ‘Permanent Forests’ in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for native forests.
Given that this is a new category in the ETS; that the ETS is already largely dedicated to funding pine trees; and that it would allow many farmers to gain an income from native bush around waterways and eroding gullies, this made perfect sense. That is, until a group of carbon farming lobbyists got busy and changed Cabinet’s minds for them – quite how, no one is certain.
So much for our brave talk of ‘kaitiakitanga’ for native plants and animals. Once again, New Zealand’s ‘clean green image’ is being trashed.
At present, Aotearoa New Zealand has two key strategies for mitigating the country’s carbon emissions. One is to buy carbon credits offshore, spending perhaps $30 billion to ‘restore’ natural forests in other countries. As Jez Weston and Rohan MacMahon point out, however, most of those markets are dodgy, and New Zealand faces stiff competition from other countries. There is no guarantee that this investment will deliver genuine climate outcomes at scale.
The other strategy is to use the Emissions Trading Scheme to plant vast areas of pinus radiata across our landscapes – monocultures of exotic conifers that have been intensively engineered for rapid biomass accumulation. While pine trees have their place, they are relatively short-lived, shallow rooting and flammable - quite frankly, one of the last species one would use for long-term carbon sequestration, given the catastrophic risks of fire, storms, pests and diseases with climate change.
Calling pine plantations 'permanent forests' is an oxymoron.
In the meantime, the planting and restoration of natural forests in New Zealand is declining, and many sheep and beef farms are going under pine trees. This is a shameful outcome that should make our politicians blush. At the forthcoming O Tātou Ngāhere conference at Te Papa Tongarewa, the importance of indigenous forests as a way of addressing the long term climate and biodiversity crises will come into sharp focus.
Let’s hope that some in the business community and in government will finally come to their senses, and stop sacrificing the future of our children and grandchildren (and theirs!) for short-term political and financial gain – about as smart as lemmings rushing over a cliff.
* Join Tim Flannery and other experts virtually at O Tātou Ngahere ~ Our Forest, Aotearoa, New Zealand's largest conference on the HOW and WHY of more native forest regeneration and management. Sign up at the link O Tātou Ngahere. Brought to you by Pure Advantage and Tāne's Tree Trust " *
