The purpose of this pack

This pack presents the ForestryCommission’s key messages on climatechange. It draws together theinformation available from the ForestryCommission, Forest Research and otherrelevant organisations, to explain in onedocument the role of trees, woods andforests in tackling climate change.

Who is this pack aimed at?

The pack is primarily aimed at ForestryCommission staff, so that they are ableto communicate the ForestryCommission’s key climate changemessages to the public.

Introduction and key messages1

Key messages: a summary

Trees, woods and forests can providepart of the solution to limiting climatechange, and to helping society toadapt to the changes that we all face.We must help our trees, woods andforests to adapt and become resilientto the changing climate.

• Climate change resulting fromhuman activity is a reality. Forestsand forestry can be an importantand attractive part of the solution.

• On a global scale, we must protectand manage the woods and foreststhat we already have as well asplanting new forests, to “mitigate”climate change.

• Cutting down trees is not alwaysbad for the environment. As long aswoodlands are managed in asustainable way, there can be amultitude of benefits: for theclimate, for people and for wildlife.

• Wood is a smart choice. Timber isrenewable and can replace othermaterials that require much largerfossil fuel inputs for their production.It can also replace fossil fuelsdirectly in the form of renewableenergy, or wood fuel.

• Trees can help us to adapt to achanging climate. They provideshade, alleviate flooding, andcreate a valuable wildlife habitat.

• Our forests are changing due toclimate change and we need toplan ahead to help them adapt.

The Forestry Commission is working toprovide the answers and bestpractical solutions based on soundevidence. Through its managementof the public forest estate, and itsresearch and promotional work, theForestry Commission is alreadyplaying an important role incombating climate change, and inhelping our forests adapt to thechanging climate.

This pack provides more information about each of these key messages.

The Convenient Truth

The "A Convenient Truth" pack and DVDproduced by the Forestry Commission in2007, breaks these messages downinto six actions that we can take:Protect what we already haveReduce deforestationRestore the world’s forest coverUse wood for energyReplace other materials with woodPlan to adapt to our changing climate.

The Public Opinion of Forestry Survey2007 included questions aboutclimate change, and the answersidentified clear areas that requiredmore communication. For example:

• 62% of people said that cuttingdown trees and forests makesclimate change worse, even if theyare replanted. A further 24% wereunsure.

• Only 41% of people thought thatusing wood as a building materialwas better for climate change thanconcrete or steel.

• 46% of people thought that usingwood as a fuel makes climate

change worse because it releasescarbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

• 25% of people thought that treesshould not be felled in anycircumstances, even if they arereplaced.

The full survey can be found at:www.forestry.gov.uk/statistics. Someof the misconceptions identified bythis report have helped to shape theinformation provided in this pack. Thisshould arm Forestry Commission staffwith the information required toaddress common questions orconcerns about these subjects.

What do the British public think about forests and climatechange?

Living sustainably by reducing waste,recycling, reducing consumption andgenerally adopting a “greenerlifestyle” are all really important waysin which we can reduce our impact onthe environment. However,sustainable living is dealt withextensively elsewhere

by other organisations, and themessages are not unique to theForestry Commission. Therefore thisdocument focuses on the unique roleof the Forestry Commission in terms oftrees, woods, forests and climatechange.

A note about sustainable living

Earth’s climate has been relatively stable since the last glaciation, which ended10,000 years ago

However it is generally agreed among scientists that we are now experiencingclimate change as a result of human activities that have taken place over the

last century or so

Since the industrial revolution, burning of fossil fuels and large-scaledeforestation have released greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and

methane into the atmosphere

These and other human activities mean that atmospheric concentrations ofcarbon dioxide have risen by 40% over pre-industrial levels

Some background informationWe are experiencing climate change because human activities continue to releasegreenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Forests are partof the cause of climate change because globally deforestation contributes tonearly 20% of carbon dioxide emissions. However, forests can be an importantpart of the solution if we can reverse deforestation and plant new forests toabsorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

2

Human impact

Climate change as a result of humanactivity is a reality. Forests can be animportant and attractive part ofthe solution

Greenhouse gases occur naturally in theatmosphere. Indeed the Earth would beuninhabitable without them. The problem isthat levels of greenhouse gases haveincreased due to human activity since the1850s. Greenhouse gases in the Earth’satmosphere warm the Earth by preventingheat escaping from the atmosphere backinto space.

Earth

Some energy isreflected backinto space

Some heat isradiated backout into space

Greenhousegases in theatmospheretrap some heatkeeping theEarth warm

Solar energyfrom the sunpasses throughthe atmosphereand heats theEarth’s surface

Sun

Atmosphere

Trees are a carbon store

While they are growing, trees absorbcarbon dioxide from the atmospherethrough photosynthesis and store it ascarbon in the form of wood.

At the beginning of the 20th Century,woodland covered only 5% of the UK’sland surface. This is now up to 12% (8%of England), and although still small in

global terms, the forests andwoodlands in the UK have an importantrole to play. The work of the ForestryCommission is vital.

Trees store carbon through photosynthesis

Facts and Figures

• Carbon dioxide is the mostimportant greenhouse gas interms of human activity. In the UK itcontributed to over 85% of totalgreenhouse gas emissions in2004.

• More carbon is stored in globalforest ecosystems than iscontained in all of the world’sremaining oil stocks, or in theatmosphere

• Deforestation alone currentlyaccounts for nearly 20% of globalcarbon dioxide emissions. This isgreater than the whole transportsector

• Soil contains the largest carbonstore in the UK with woodland soilsstoring about 500 million tonnes ofcarbon. This is in comparison tothe 150 million tonnes stored inforest biomass.

Plants use carbon dioxide and water as raw materials during photosynthesis to producesugars. These sugars provide the energy required to for the production of cellulose, or lignin inthe case of woody plants – locking up carbon. Oxygen is produced as a by-product. Some ofthe carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere through respiration. The remaining carbon isstored in leaf, root, seed, wood and branch biomass.

Carbon dioxidefrom the

atmosphere

Water Organicmatter

Oxygen

6 CO2 6 H2O C6H12O6 6 O2

• Carbon is a chemical element withthe symbol C. It is the fourth mostabundant element in the universeby mass after hydrogen, heliumand oxygen.

• Carbon dioxide is a gas at standardtemperature and pressure.

• One tonne of carbon is equivalentto 3.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

• One tonne of (oven-dried) woodcontains approximately half a tonneof carbon. This is the equivalent of1.85 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

What is the difference between carbon and carbon dioxide?

• Earth’s climate is changing as a result of human activity• Trees and forests and their products can be part of the

solution to combating climate change if they are wellmanaged, both on a global and a local scale

Summary

CO2 in atmosphereWhere does the carbon go?

A summary of the carbon exchange associatedwith a typical woodland.

+ +

Photosynthesis (grossprimary productivity)

Removal of CO2 fromatmosphere

Decay of litterreleases CO2

New litter input fromfoliage, seeds, wood

Net increase in soilcarbon

Net primary production– new biomass (i.e.stem wood, roots,

branches, leaves, fruit)

Respiration adds CO2

to the atmosphere

3

But it doesn’t feel warmer!

It is often difficult to reconcile the recentcold, wet summers with the fact that theten warmest years on record have alloccurred since 1994. However, whatsticks in our minds is short termweather rather than long term trends inclimate. We will probably see coldperiods lasting for a number of yearsand apparent increases in summer

rainfall, but these will be blips within amore general warming trend and atendency towards drier summers.

Climate change now and in the next30-40 years is inevitable due to pastgreenhouse gas emissions. Beyond thistimeframe, the amount of climatechange will be determined by theemissions that we are producing now.

What will climate change look like?Climate change projections suggest that Britain will experience increasinglywarmer and drier summers, accompanied by milder but wetter winters.There will also be more extreme weather events.

Weather and climate:what’s the difference?Weather describes atmosphericconditions over a short time period,and climate is how the atmosphere"behaves" over relatively long timeperiods. Climate change meanschanges in the long-term averagesof daily weather.

• Climate change is happening, and a further increase intemperature of at least 2°C globally by 2100 is nowinevitable due to past emissions.

• We can expect a further rise in temperature of 2°C (abovethe 1961 to 1990 baseline) by 2100 even if we decreaseour carbon dioxide emissions dramatically.

• If no action is taken now, the rise in temperature could beas high as 7°C by 2100.

• The growing season has lengthened and trees arecoming into leaf up to three weeks earlier than in the1950s (the study of phenology).

• Winters in the UK are likely to become wetter (by up to30%) and summers drier. Areas of southern England arelikely to become subject to more frequent and severesummer drought.

• Rainfall events are likely to become more intense.• Sea level rise of between 1-10cm will occur around the UKcoast per decade over the next 100 years leading to adecrease in land area.

Climate change in England - key facts

Climate change is a reality

Arctic regions are especially sensitive towarming and will see even largerincreases in temperature. This couldlead to the release of the hugequantities of methane currently storedbeneath the Arctic. Methane is agreenhouse gas 25 times morepowerful than carbon dioxide, and in apositive feedback loop could lead tofurther dramatic temperature rises.

Climate change projections for the UKare published by the UK ClimateImpacts Programme (UKCIP). Mostrecent studies have used the scenariospublished in 2002 (UKCIP02). Newprojections will be published in 2009.These will provide more quantificationof uncertainty and the probability ofspecific changes in climate happening.Go to www.ukcip.org.uk for moreinformation.

• Climate change is happening andan increase in temperature of atleast 2°C globally is now inevitabledue to past emissions

• Summers in the UK will be warmerand drier, and winters warmerand wetter

• Extreme weather events willbecome more common

Summary

One of the key predicted impacts of climatechange is more extreme weather events. Theheadline-hitting flooding events of the lastcouple of years are certainly consistent withthis aspect of climate change, but we cannotsay that they are the result of climatechange.

Temperature data has been recorded at Bedgebury Pinetum since 1960. Results so far showa slow, steady rise in all seasons since recording began.

1955

1965

1975

1985

1995

2005

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Year

Average

Temperature(o C

)

Winter Spring Summer Autumn

Negative effects

Reduced timber quality unless different species are used to thosethat we use currently.Possible nutrient imbalances.

Drought conditions become more severe and frequent – some treespecies no longer suitable for commercial forestry.Stress caused by drought makes trees more susceptible to pestsand diseases.Increased tree mortality – particularly street trees.“Drought crack” reducing timber quality.

Waterlogging and reduced access for forest machinery.Increased mortality of fine roots. In turn this can worsen the effectsof summer drought.Infection by soil–borne diseases is increased by fluctuating watertables.Reduced stability and more wind throw.

Greater storm damage.

Leaves appearing earlier due to warmer temperatures can leavetrees vulnerable to frost damage.Pests able to survive through winter.Potential for exotic pests to spread to the UK.Species that rely on the timing of each others life cycles couldbecome out of synchronisation with each other – e.g. flowers andtheir pollinators.

What does climate change meanfor forestry?

Our changing climate means increased uncertainty for the future, and henceincreased risk. We must plan ahead to help our forests adapt.

4

Potential impacts: a summary

Change expected

Increased carbon dioxide

Reduced summer rainfall

Increased winter rainfall

Increased storm frequency

Warmer temperatures

Beneficial effects

Enhanced growth rates.Water loss is reduced due toclosure of leaf pores.

Longer growing season.Increased potential productivity.Lower risk of winter colddamage.Potential for use of tree speciesthat are not hardy enough tothrive in Britain at present.

Our forests are changing due toclimate change and we need to planahead to help them adapt

Species suitability

Our changing climate is likely to result insome tree species becoming less suitedto the areas in which they currently live,and some becoming more suitable.Woodland flora is also likely to suffer.

Some non native species may benefitfrom climate change and could becomeinvasive in the future by out-competingnative species. Monitoring and recordkeeping are essential to follow theimpacts of climate change and decidewhat actions to take.

We must plan ahead to help ourwoodlands adapt. See sheet 10 formore information on adaptation.

Pests and diseases

Climate change will mean that:1 Stressed trees are more susceptibleto insect pests and diseases

2 More pests will be able to surviveover winter and summer activity islikely to increase – leading toincreased tree disease and damage

• Some insect pests that are currentlyat low levels, or are not currentlyconsidered a threat are likely tobecome more prevalent.

• The effective range of existing pestsor pathogens may change, includinga northward expansion of those witha southern distribution and the likelyappearance of some from continentalEurope

• The changing climate may beincreasingly favourable to a newrange of pests that are inadvertentlyintroduced through global trade.

Focus on:Green spruce aphid(Elatobium abietinum)

This aphid defoliates Sitka spruce andNorway spruce in the UK. At present, itspopulations appear to be limitedprimarily by cold winter temperaturesbelow –7°C and sudden frosts. Highertemperatures will lead to higherreproduction and growth rates, and willallow more aphids to survive during thewinter.

Phytophthoras

Phytophthoras are a group of fungalpathogens responsible for major plantdiseases in many parts of the world.Phytophthora diseases can be expectedto become more prevalent due to driersummers and wetter winters. At thesame time climatic stress on trees suchas oaks could also make them moresusceptible. Phytophthoras are linked toSudden Oak Death and "oak decline”.

Red band needle blight

This is an economically importantdisease affecting a number ofconiferous trees, particularly pinespecies. Since the late 1990s incidenceof the disease has increaseddramatically in Britain, particularly inCorsican pine (Pinus nigra ssp. laricio).Due to the extent and severity of thedisease on this species, there is now afive-year ban on the planting of it on theForestry Commission estate. It isthought that the increase could be duein part to warm, wet springs in recentyears.

Horse chestnut leaf miner(Cameraria ohridella)

This moth causes severe damage to theappearance of horse chestnut trees,and benefits from hot dry conditionswhen the tree is already sufferingdrought stress. It is thought that climatemight also have a role to play inincreased incidence of bleeding cankerof horse chestnut, but this is currentlyunder investigation.

Appearance of exotic pest speciesExotic pests such as the southern pinebeetle could establish populations inEurope, and climatic warming couldmake UK forests susceptible todamage.

Increased global movement of timberand wood productsThe combined effects of increasedglobal movement of timber and woodproducts, and climate change, are likelyto result in exotic pests such as Asianlonghorn beetle becoming moreprevalent.

The impact of our changing climate onpests and diseases means that wemust remain vigilant in reporting newpests and altered patterns of damage.When looking at the design and speciescomposition of our forests, we mustthink about how pests and diseasesmight affect the tree species that weuse and how this might change in thefuture.

• Climate change will affect our trees and woodlands andwe must help our forests to adapt.

• Many pests and diseases are likely to benefit from climate

change. We must continue to be vigilant in theirmonitoring and think about changes that we might haveto make to the species composition of our forests.

Summary

Green spruce aphid

Damage to Corsican pine caused by redband needle blight

Exotic pests like this Asian longhorn beetlemight become more common. Park andstreet trees are particularly at risk from thisspecies

What is the Forestry Commissiondoing about climate change?

1. Six point action planThe Forestry Commission is tacklingclimate change through the six pointaction plan laid out in the ConvenientTruth (2007). Some of these actions aredirectly relevant to our work in ForestryCommission woodlands in England,while others are achieved throughinfluencing the international forestryand climate change agenda:• Protecting and managing the forests

we already have• Reducing deforestation• Restoring woodland cover• Using wood for energy• Replacing other materials with wood• Planning to adapt

2. ResearchThe Forestry Commission’s researchagency, Forest Research has carried outclimate change focused research for

many years. The significance of its rolein this area has now been furtherrecognised by the creation of adedicated Centre for Forestry andClimate Change.

Work has included:• The development of the EcologicalSite Classification tool to assess thelikely impacts of climate change onthe suitability of individual treespecies and native woodlandcommunities

• Analysis of how climate change mayalter the impacts of pests anddiseases on trees and woodlands

• Investigating the ability of our nativespecies to adapt to climate change

3. Planting and promoting theplanting of more trees SHEET 6There is also a global aspect to thiswork. By planting new forests andre-establishing those that have beenlost, we can help to restore the planet’sforest cover.

The Forestry Commission is sharing itsknowledge through the GlobalPartnership on Forest LandscapeRestoration to help make a difference ata global level.

4. Continuing to manage its forestssustainably SHEET 7

5. Promoting and increasing the useof wood products SHEET 8

6. Promoting and increasing the useof wood as a fuel SHEET 9

7. Starting to adapt its woodlands toclimate change SHEET 10

8. Involvement in the development ofgreen infrastructure and research intourban trees SHEET 11

The role of the Forestry Commissionand climate change: a summary

The Forestry Commission is already playing an important role in mitigating climatechange and adapting to its impacts.

5

The Forestry Commission is alreadyplaying an important role incombating climate change, and inhelping our forests adapt to thechanging climate

A headline statistic is that the carbonsequestered (or stored) by half ahectare of conifer woodland over onerotation can compensate for the carbondioxide emissions associated with carfuel consumption during one averagedriver's lifetime.

However, with 30 million registereddrivers in the UK, three quarters of theland area of the nation would have tobe covered in forest to make car usealone carbon-neutral. Thereforeplanting more trees is an attractive partof mitigating climate change, but canclearly never be the whole solution.

Just how much carbon does onetree store?

A recent study carried out at KielderForest has calculated that the Forest’s150 million trees lock up 82,000 tonnesof carbon annually. This means that asa rough estimate each tree at Kielder islocking up 0.546kg of carbon per year –equivalent to 2kg of carbon dioxide.

Although this example does answer theapparently simple question ‘how muchcarbon does one tree store,’ in realitythe answer is far from straight forward;it is dependent on species, growingconditions and how a tree is managed.For example, 2500 trees might beplanted per hectare in a commercialplantation (broadleaf or conifer) but only50-500 remain when the final crop isharvested as a result of naturalmortality and thinning.

In addition, young trees absorb carbondioxide quickly while they are growing,but as a tree ages a steady state iseventually reached. At this point theamount of carbon absorbed throughphotosynthesis is equal to that lostthrough respiration and decay.

Mitigation: Planting more treesTrees store carbon. One of the practical ways to combat climate change is to lockup or sequester more carbon from the atmosphere through planting more trees -as long as the right trees are planted in the right place.

6

Forests and forestry can be animportant and attractive part ofthe solution

Definition: The term mitigation refersto activities aimed at reducinggreenhouse gas emissions and/orremoval of carbon dioxide from theatmosphere.

Facts and figures• UK forests and woodlands containaround 150 million tonnes ofcarbon

• UK forests and woodlands are acarbon sink, as they remove about4 million tonnes of carbon from theatmosphere every year

• Current UK emissions of carbondioxide are about 550 milliontonnes per year

It is, therefore, a much simpler conceptto talk about how much carbon an areaof woodland can sequester or store.Fast growing conifer stands in the UKcan sequester about 10 tonnes ofcarbon per hectare per year during theiractive growth phase, although a moretypical figure representative of abroader range of forest types is 3-5tC/ha/yr. When UK woodlands arelooked at as a whole, the average fallsto 1-2 tC/ha/yr if removals duringharvest and the contribution fromunproductive woodlands are alsoincluded.

In terms of total carbon storage, acommercial conifer plantation grownover 50 years might sequester 50-100tonnes of carbon per hectare. Incontrast, an old growth forest may storeup to 250 tC/ha but over a much longerperiod (300 years or more).

Definitions:

SequestrationThis is the act of removing (literallyseizing) carbon dioxide from theatmosphere and storing it in biologicalmaterial.

SinkA forest is termed a carbon “sink” ifthere is a net transfer of carbon fromthe atmosphere to the forest. A forestonly remains a sink while its carbonstock continues to increase.

StoreWood products are a store of carbon,as they themselves do not capturecarbon dioxide from the atmosphere,but keep it locked up throughout theirlifetime.

• As long as the right trees are planted in the right place,planting more trees can be an attractive way of removingcarbon dioxide from the atmosphere

• However overall, tree planting can only ever play a verysmall part in climate change mitigation

Summary

Carbon offsetting

Trees and forests have a clear role toplay in helping to mitigate climatechange, and tree planting projectshave been proposed as valid ways tohelp ‘offset’ unavoidable carbonemissions – carbon offsetting.However, there has been resistance tosuch projects for a number of reasons,including the following:

• Is the activity ‘additional’ or wouldthe tree planting have occurredanyway?

• Will the woodland be permanent, orwill the carbon be re-emitted in thefuture?

• Will the carbon be counted onlyonce – or by a number ofindividuals/organisations?

• Are the emissions reductions real?

The most important point is thatoffsetting – whether through treeplanting or not – should not be the firstthought; reducing emissions shouldalways be the main objective.Secondly, offsetting requires certaintyin the emissions reductions takingplace. This is a very difficult issue fortree planting projects, which generallyprovide funding for carbon uptake inthe future.

However, it is undeniable that plantingnew woodlands in appropriatelocations removes carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere, and alsoprovides a number of otherenvironmental and social benefits thatmany other offsetting options do notprovide. Tree planting projectstherefore do have a role to play inhelping to fight climate change, butthose investing in them need to beaware of the issues involved.

Sustainable forest management meansan ongoing cycle of trees growing andbeing harvested for timber products. Itcovers a range of approaches from“energy forests” that are felled andreplanted over rotations as short asseven years, to continuous cover standsthat are never clear-felled, but fromwhich timber trees are removed on aregular basis and allowed toregenerate naturally. However allapproaches are characterised bymaintenance of the amount of carbonstored in the long term, and continuedgrowth.

Woods that are sustainably managedgenerally have higher rates of carbonstorage (sequestration) than woodlandsthat are not managed. This is becausewhen woodlands that are not managedapproach the “old growth” phase, theamount of carbon dioxide that theyabsorb from the atmosphere through

photosynthesis, is balanced byemissions through respiration, litterfalland decay. They may even start to emitmore carbon dioxide throughrespiration and decay than they take inthrough photosynthesis.

Woods where trees are periodicallythinned are generally also better forassociated woodland wildlife. Morelight is able to reach the forest floor –leading to an increase in diversity ofwoodland flowers, insects and animals.Careful management also helps toprotect woodlands against hazardssuch as pests, diseases, storms andfire.

Deforestation on the other hand impliesa change in land use to non-forestedland. In many parts of the world,achieving a transition fromdeforestation to forest conservation andmanagement is a challenge. The

economic pressure for deforestation isgreatest in developing countries, butevery country in the world benefits frommaintaining forest resources wheretrees are replanted when cut,absorbing more carbon.

Mitigation: Managing our woodlandsSustainable woodland management practices balance the wide range of benefitsthat woodlands provide, including biodiversity, recreation and effects on thecarbon cycle.

7

Cutting down trees is not always badfor the environment

But doesn’t cutting down treesrelease more carbon dioxide to theatmosphere?In well-managed forests, felling treesis part of the sustainablemanagement cycle. Felled trees arereplaced by young trees, by naturalseeding or coppice regrowth. Fast-growing young trees absorb morecarbon dioxide from the atmospherethan older trees. Trees that are felledcan be used to produce woodproducts including wood fuel.

Protection through certificationThe best way to ensure that timbercomes from a sustainable source is touse an independently certified supplier,or to ask suppliers whether they usecertified timber.

There are two global forest certificationschemes, which demonstrate thattimber and wood products come fromlegal and sustainable sources. Theseare:

FSC – Forest Stewardship CouncilPEFC – Programme for Endorsement ofForest Certification schemes

The FSC label is currently found on over10,000 product lines in the UK alone –from garden furniture, to bird boxes,brushes, wallpaper, doors, toilet tissue,paper books and pencils. FSC not onlycertifies timber products; in fact allforest products can potentially becertified. Venison from ForestryCommission land is one such non-

timber product that is FSC certified in theUK.

In the UK, the UK Woodland AssuranceStandard is an independent certificationstandard for verifying sustainablewoodland management. Itis not a certification scheme but isdesigned to provide a single commonstandard for use within those forestcertification programmes that operatein the UK.

During 1999 every Forestry Commissionwoodland in England, Scotland andWales (around 40% of British forests)was assessed against the UKWoodland Assurance Standard(UKWAS) by an independent auditor. Asa result, Forestry Commissionwoodlands now carry the ForestStewardship Council (FSC) stamp ofapproval. This makes the ForestryCommission the largest supplier of FSCcertified round timber in the UK.

• Wood products that come from well managed forestshave the most benefits in terms of combating climatechange, as more trees are planted in place of those cutdown

• Well managed woodlands generally store more carbonthan stands that are not harvested

• Buying wood from certified forests ensures that thoseforests have been sustainably managed

• All Forestry Commission woodlands are now certified bythe Forest Stewardship Council

Summary

A global increase in the use of industrialwood products would help reduce theamount of carbon dioxide in theatmosphere, as long as the woodlandsfrom which they come are sustainablymanaged.

When it comes to constructing homesand buildings, wood has the lowestenergy consumption and carbonfootprint of any commonly usedbuilding material.

Every cubic metre of wood that is usedas a substitute for other buildingmaterials saves around 2 tonnes ofcarbon dioxide:• Around 0.9 tonnes of carbon dioxideis stored as carbon in the wood

• On average 1.1 tonnes of carbondioxide are saved because of thelower energy consumption involved inmanufacture

Use of wood in buildings also helps tosave energy over the life of thatbuilding, as the cellular structure ofwood makes it an excellent thermalinsulator. It is:• 15 times better than concrete• 400 times better than steel• 1770 times better than aluminium

Mitigation: Using timber as arenewable, low energy material

Wood products are unique. They come from a natural, renewable resource, whichcan be sustainable if managed properly. The carbon they contain remains storedfor the duration of the product’s lifetime, until it decays or is burned. The longer thewood product is used, the longer the period of time the carbon is stored.

8

Wood is a smart choice

It isn’t just wooden housing that can help usmitigate climate change – there are manyeveryday products for which we cansubstitute wood for other materials. Thispicture gives an example of the differencesin carbon dioxide emissions for production ofa wooden, steel and a plastic spoon.

0.2MJ 17g of CO2 emmissionsWooden spoon

5.9MJ 460g of CO2 emmissionsStainless steel spoon

6.3MJ 200g of CO2 emmissionsPlastic spoon

Wood products extend the period thatthe carbon dioxide captured by trees iskept out of the atmosphere. Increaseduse of wood products can encouragethe expansion of forests, and as long asthey are well managed, more carbondioxide is captured from theatmosphere through new growth.

Of course, not all products that arecurrently made from plastics or concretecan be made from wood. However,using wood where possible and whereappropriate, can provide a valuableand aesthetically beautiful part of thesolution to mitigating climate change.

• Wood stores carbon• Wood products require lessenergy to manufacture thanequivalent materials like steel

• Wood is a good thermalinsulator, saving energy andmoney through running costs

• Wood is a beautiful material• Wood is a long-lasting material• Very little waste is generatedthrough the manufacture oftimber and wood products

• Any waste material can be burntas a fuel in place of fossil fuels(see sheet 9)

• Using wood products canencourage the expansion offorests

The benefits of using morewood products

• Wood products store carbon for the duration of theirlifetime.

• As long as the trees come from a well-managed forest,new growth absorbs more carbon dioxide from theatmosphere.

• Less energy and thus less fossil fuels are required in woodproduct manufacture than equivalent materials.

• Not all products can be made from wood, but a globalincrease in wood products would help to decrease theamount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Summary

Frequently asked questions

But what about the durability ofwood – buildings made of woodwon’t last very long will they?Building with wood has a long history.In Norway churches built from woodin the 12th and 13th centuries are stillstanding. In Japan there is even atemple still standing which was builtin the 7th century.

Today the average service life of awooden house is between 80-100years, with some buildersguaranteeing a lifetime of 125 years.

Doesn’t using wood in buildingscreate a fire hazard?The technology for timber framebuildings has been developedextensively over the last ten years.New fire retardant treatments that lastfor the life of the building makemodern timber buildings fire-safe.

But surely wood products can’t goon storing carbon indefinitely?Wood products increase the amountof time for which carbon is stored. Atthe end of its lifetime, it is likely that awood product will either: (a) decay, (b)go into landfill, (c) be recycled e.g. toproduce chipboard or pulp for paper,or (d) be burned.

This is where it is important that thewood used in building and inproducts, comes from a sustainablymanaged woodland, so that moretrees are planted, which can absorbcarbon dioxide, to replace those thathave been harvested to create thewood product.

If a wood product is burned for fuel atthe end of its lifetime, then it reducesthe need to burn fossil fuels.

Treesabsorbcarbondioxide

Treesharvestedand woodproductscreated

Carbondioxide storedas carbon in

woodproducts

Recycled aschipboard orpaper pulp

At end oflifetime

More treesplanted

Carbondioxidereleased

Burnt asa fuel

Decomposein landfill

Wood fuel is a well-established form ofheating, probably the oldest used byhumans. Modern wood fuel systemsburn the wood cleanly and efficientlyand offer convenience and comfort.

Although burning wood releasescarbon dioxide, this is balanced by thecarbon dioxide absorbed by the growthof new trees planted in place of thosecut down. It is a carbon lean rather thana carbon neutral fuel, as small amountsof fossil fuel are required for itsproduction and transportation.

Mitigation: Wood fuel – renewableenergy that grows on trees

Wood used for energy is wood fuel. When used in place of fossil fuels, wood fuelreduces the net amount of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere. There isthe potential for the expansion of wood fuel use in the UK, but it is essential thatforests that supply wood are managed sustainably.

9

Fossil fuels locked up carbon millionsof years ago in a very slow process.When fossil fuels are burned, thecarbon is released very quickly. Ittakes millions of years for new coaland oil to form.

Trees absorbcarbon dioxide fromthe atmosphere

Trees are harvestedand burnt as wood

fuel

Small amount ofCO2 released intransport andprocessing

More treesplanted

Wood is a smart choice

Coppicing

Coppicing is one type of traditionalsustainable woodland managementwhich is often used to produce woodfuel.

Coppicing involves cutting the stems

from a tree to leave a stump or “stool”which regrows. Each section ofwoodland will be cut about onceevery 15-30 years depending on thespecies being grown. Willow andpoplar are also grown as shortrotation energy crops over cycles asshort as 3 years.

This diagram shows that if more trees are planted in place of those cut down, wood can be acarbon lean fuel.

A never-ending harvest

Carbon dioxidereleased from

burning of the fuel

There is potential to increase the use ofwood fuel in England as 60% of ourforests are currently thought to beundermanaged. The ForestryCommission’s Wood Fuel Strategy forEngland aims to bring an additional twomillion tonnes of wood into the marketannually by 2020. This could supply250,000 homes with energy, equivalentto saving 3.6 million barrels of crude oil.Providing woodland owners withpractical advice and skills to makeinformed choices about managing theirwoodland to produce wood fuel is one

of the key tasks for Forestry CommissionEngland – especially for those newwoodland owners with no backgroundin land management.

However, none of the benefits of woodfuel will be realised unless woodlandmanagement is profitable. Wood fuelcan be made from the lowest gradewood – providing a market for thepoorest quality parts of the tree, whilethe higher quality timber can be used tomake wood products, which lock upcarbon for a long time.

• Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This isreleased back to the atmosphere when the wood isburned. More carbon dioxide is then absorbed by treesplanted in their place.

• To reap the carbon benefits, woodlands producing woodfor fuel must be managed sustainably: trees must bereplanted if cut down.

• Wood fuel is carbon lean, rather than carbon neutral assome carbon dioxide emissions are produced duringtransport and processing.

• Modern wood fuel systems burn wood cleanly andefficiently with little smoke or ash.

• Wood fuel is a positive part of the solution to reducingcarbon emissions.

Summary

Frequently asked questions

Can wood fuel solve all of the UK’senergy requirements?There are simply not enough treesin the UK to provide enough energythrough wood fuel for all ourrequirements. However wood fuelcan provide a good, positive part ofthe solution to reducing carbonemissions in conjunction with otherrenewable technologies.

Isn’t wood a dirty fuel?Wood fuel systems produce verylittle ash, typically less than 1% andoften much less. Wood fuel boilerstypically run at very high efficiencies– up to 90% with some systems.This means that the fuel isconverted to heat with very fewsmoke particles. The mostimportant thing is to ensure that theboiler is well designed and wellmaintained.

Isn’t it expensive to install a woodfuel system?Although they are more expensiveto buy than other boiler systems,running a wood fuel boiler iscomparable to or cheaper than anoil boiler. There are also grants andother financial support available forthose wishing to install renewableenergy systems. Wood fuel worksbest on a local scale – using locallygrown trees in efficient boilers toprovide heat for business andcommunity use reduces haulagecosts and carbon dioxideemissions.

Heat is the biggest energy demandin the UK – more than bothelectricity and transport. Thereforethis is the best use of wood forenergy in terms of carbon savings.

• Wood fuel is a carbon-lean fuel (seeabove)

• Producing and using wood fuellocally helps to minimise use of fuelin transport

• Greater self-sufficiency for localcommunities

• UK produced wood fuel contributesto fuel security

• Creates new business opportunities– stimulating the rural economy andproviding employment

• Creating a market for wood fuelhelps to bring woodlands intomanagement

• Sensitively managed woodlandsgenerally provide better habitats fora wider range of woodland plants,birds, animals and insects thanunmanaged woodlands

• Wood fuel can save you money – itis often a cheaper option and has amore stable price than fossil fuels

Benefits of wood fuel

Fuel Approx life cycleCO2 emissions kg/MWh

Coal 484

Oil 350

Natural gas 270

Large scale wood chip combustion 58

Large scale wood chip gassification 25

Wood chips (25% moisture content) 5.5-6.6

Wood pellets (10% moisture content) 20

These figures show emissions over the life cycle of the fuel. This means that they includesupply chains, production techniques and transport distances. In the case of wood fuel,emissions during combustion are assumed to be compensated for by the future growth oftrees managed on a sustainable basis. Figures from the Biomass Energy Centre.

In terms of forestry this meansdesigning and managing forests andwoodlands so that they are able tocope with, and help society to copewith, climate change. We must ensurethat our commercial woodlands areeconomically viable by helping them toadapt. In doing this we must make surethat our semi-natural woodlands arenot compromised, and that our actionsdo not introduce threats for the future.Woodlands can also contribute to floodprevention, help to cool our cities andcreate wildlife corridors (covered bysheet 11).

Due to the large size and long life spanof trees, forest ecosystems are likely tobe slow to react to changing climaticconditions, and for this reason we mustthink ahead in planning how to adaptour forests to climate change.

How can we help our woodlandsadapt to climate change?

1. Species and provenance choiceForest managers have to considerwhether their woodlands will survive ina future climate. Forest Research arecurrently carrying out a number ofspecies trials across the country to lookat which species or provenances mightbe better suited to the climate of thefuture.

The difficulty lies in ensuring thatdecisions made now are appropriate toboth the current and future climate, andcover the considerable uncertainty overwhat the future climate will be.

Ensuring that a forest is diverse, interms of age structure, species andorigin, will help to provide it with theresilience to cope with changingconditions.

See Case Studies 1 and 2 (Sheets 14 and15) for more information on how theForestry Commission is planning ahead.

2. Ecological Site Classification (ESC)ESC is a computer based system to helpguide forest managers and planners toidentify how species being consideredfor woodland creation or restockingmay respond to climate change.

Adaptation: helping our forestsadapt to climate change

Adaptation to climate change means changing the way that we do things to takeaccount of the inevitable and unavoidable changes that have started and willcontinue to happen during the coming decades.

10

Our forests are changing due toclimate change and we need to planahead to help them adapt

What does provenance mean?This is the site or locality from wherethe planting material was sourced.For example oak of Frenchprovenance might be better suited toa warmer climate than oak of localprovenance in southern England.

3. New natives?Current UK policy encourages theplanting of local provenances of nativespecies, because these are likely to beadapted to local conditions. Howeverthese species and provenances maynot be able to adapt to a fast-changingclimate. It may be necessary to re-thinkthe importance of always choosingnative species. Another solution may beto source plant stock of native speciesfrom more southerly regions, whichexperience a current climate similar tothat predicted for our future.

4. Management of existing woodlandIncreased productivity because ofhigher temperatures and carbondioxide levels mean that rotation length(the length of time it takes for a tree tobe ready for felling to produce timberproducts) and the timing of thinningmay need adjustment. Managementmay also need to take into accountchanges in storm frequency, the effectsof winter waterlogging on access formanagement, or the timing of theplanting window.

5. Pests and diseasesIt is essential to remain vigilant inreporting new pests and diseases andaltered patterns of damage. It is alsonecessary to think about changes inspecies choice in relation to potentialpest and disease problems, as isshown by the current moratorium onplanting of Corsican pine on the ForestryCommission estate. (See sheet 4 formore information on pests anddiseases).

6. Reducing other pressuresBy removing or reducing otherpressures on woodlands, such asinvasive species and pollution, we canhelp to increase the resilience of ourwoodlands.

7. Landscape designMaking our existing semi-naturalwoodlands larger provides a buffer toenvironmental change – increasing theirresilience. New woodlands can help tocreate habitat networks and linkages sothat species are able to move moreeasily across the landscape in responseto climate change.

8. Monitoring and evaluationThere is a great deal of uncertaintyinvolved in predicting the exact effectsof climate change. It is essential that weclosely monitor the results of the actionsthat we take to help identify adaptationstrategies for the future.

• Forest ecosystems are likely to be slow to react to climatechange and we must plan ahead to help them adapt.

• The Forestry Commission is carrying out research intowhich species might be best adapted to our future climate.

• It may be necessary to consider whether non-native

species have a role to play in our woodlands of the future.• Another solution could be to plant more southerlyprovenances of our native species.

• Good conventional management practice will make ourwoodlands more resilient to climate change.

Summary

Potential decline in suitability of different areas of the UK for beech with projected climate changes. High refers to high emissions scenarios.

Currently beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) isvery common in its native southernrange, but as these ESC maps show,the abundance and vitality of thespecies is likely to decline over time,particularly in southeast England.Shallow-rooted species like beech are

vulnerable to an increase in extremeweather events, and lower moisturelevels due to drier, warmer summers.This can cause die-back and speciesthat are more drought-tolerant may beable to invade. This means that inareas of southern England, beech may

no longer be suitable as a timber crop.

This does not mean that beech willdisappear from the landscape, butplanting a wider range of species onsites where beech is predicted tosuffer would be prudent.

Focus on… beech

Very suitable

Suitable

Marginal

Unsuitable

1961-90 2050s high 2080s high

Plant and animal communities haveevolved in response to climaticconditions since the last ice age.Within the range of climaticfluctuation species have moved tooccupy suitable environments.However greater extremes and fastchanging climatic regimes will meanthat species are subject to greatervariation.

Trees in the urban environmentThe urban heat island effect means thattemperatures in our towns and citiestend to be around 2°C higher than inrural areas. The built environment isalso designed to increase runoff whichmeans that water supply to these treesis often limited. Therefore it could besaid that trees in urban areas arealready adapted to the type of climatechange that we can expect to see in theUK over coming decades.

Trees and woodland are a vitalcomponent of what has become knownas "Green Infrastructure" - a network ofinterconnected and multipurpose greenareas.

It is important to think about whetherthe species currently used as streettrees will be suited to our future climate.

Adaptation: How our woodlandscan help society to adapt to achanging climate

Appropriately located woodland can help society and biodiversity to adapt to theimpacts of climate change. Trees planted in the right places can reduce the risk offlooding, provide shade for our wildlife, reduce soil erosion and help to cool downour towns and cities.

11

Trees can help us to adapt to achanging climate. They provideshade, alleviate flooding, and createa valuable wildlife habitat

An urban heat island is a built uparea which is significantly warmerthan surrounding rural areas. Themain cause is modification of theland surface by urban development.

• Trees absorb and reduce airpollutants, which are often highestin urban areas.

• Trees reduce the impact of heavyrains and floodwaters. This willbecome increasingly important withthe increase in severe weatherevents predicted with climatechange. It also means that treescan have an important role inSustainable Urban Drainage

Systems (SUDS).• Trees help to cool towns and citiesthrough evaporation of water,reflection of sunlight and provisionof shade.

• Planting trees and woods in urbanareas creates urban wildlifecorridors. This can help speciesmovement in response to climatechange.

Potential benefits from expansion of urban trees and woodland:

Flood alleviation

As well as reducing the risk of floodingin urban areas, woodland in headwatercatchments can reduce the intensityand volume of floodwaters. Floodplainwoodland lower in the catchment canprovide floodwater storage and reducepeak flows.

Riparian woodland

Trees planted along riverbanks can alsoprovide shade, helping to maintainlower water temperatures. This canhelp limit the effects of climate changeon fish populations.

Soil erosion control

Tree canopies reduce rainfall intensity,act as a windbreak, and stabilise soil,reducing erosion. By reducing soilerosion trees also help to reduceconsequent diffuse water pollution andthe flooding that results from watercourses silting up.

• Trees can help society and biodiversity to adapt to climatechange: yet another reason to make sure that ourwoodlands are resilient to climate change

• Trees in urban areas have an important role to play inreducing the urban heat island effect

• Trees and woodlands can help to reduce the impact offloodwaters by reducing their volume and intensity

Summary

Pony sheltering under trees in the NewForest

What can individuals do?12

Where possible buy wood products inplace of other materials such asplastics. In order to ensure that theseare from sustainably managed forests,make sure that they are certified. FSCis the most common logo to look for onconsumables in this country.

The FSC logo now appears on a hugerange of products, from gardenfurniture to decking, sheds,

conservatories, tools, bird boxes andbird tables, kitchen, bathroom andgeneral housewares, brushes,wallpaper, flooring, doors, shelves,furniture, toilet tissue, paper, booksand pencils – most things that aremade from wood. It can also be foundon other forest products such asvenison, essential oils, and latex forfootballs and balloons.

Wood products

Consider timber as a building materialif undertaking building projects.Individuals could also consider usingwooden frames when replacingwindows, or wooden flooring in the

home. Ensure that these are certified -either by FSC or other certificationschemes. Even asking suppliers if theyuse certified timber can have an impacton their buying patterns.

Timber in building

Can you think about switching to awood burner to heat your home?

Could you encourage your business orcommunity buildings to switch to usingan efficient wood fuel boiler to provideheat and hot water?

As well as the carbon saving andenvironmental benefits, this could saveyou or your business moneyparticularly if you currently use heatingoil. Most importantly seek good adviceon size, design and fuel.

Wood as a fuel

In Britain we import 95% of ourcharcoal each year – a large proportionof which comes from unsustainablesources such as tropical forests orcleared mangrove swamps. Look outfor FSC or other certified charcoal to

make sure that it is from a sustainableresource. Even better, buy locallyproduced charcoal to support localwoodlands and reduce the distancesthat the charcoal is transported.

Charcoal

If possible choose recycled paper asthis is the greenest option overall – itprevents waste paper going to landfill,and requires fewer chemicals andabout 70% less energy and 40% lesswater in its production. Where it is notpossible to buy recycled paper, use

paper which is certified, e.g. by FSC.There will always be the need for somevirgin fibre (from newly cut down trees)as recycled fibres can only bereprocessed 6-8 times – in these casesit is important to use fibres fromcertified forests.

Paper

Buy real. As long as your realChristmas tree comes from a wellmanaged woodland it can offer a moreclimate-friendly alternative to a faketree. Reports show that using a faketree results in greater carbon dioxideemissions than using a new real tree

each year, if the fake tree is used forless than 20 years. All FC Christmastrees are sustainably grown in the UKin plantations that are replanted afterthey are felled. Make sure you recycleyour real Christmas tree after you havefinished with it!

Christmas trees

Where opportunities exist, get involvedin helping to manage your localwoodland!

Volunteer

Case Study 1:Adaptation: National Arboreta Long Term Planning Group

Case Study 2:Adaptation and long term planning: Jeskyns

Case Study 3:Mitigation (wood fuel) and Adaptation (research): Bedgebury

Case Study 4:Mitigation - using more wood in building: Cannock, Dalby and Westonbirt

Case StudiesThe following case studies seek to provide some practical examples of what theForestry Commission is already doing to try to combat and adapt to climatechange. This is not an exhaustive list, but can be added to at any time.

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The Forestry Commission is alreadyplaying an important role incombating climate change, andin helping our forests adapt toclimate change

The National Arboreta - Westonbirt andBedgebury - are two world renownedForestry Commission tree collections.They are both located in southernBritain, the region predicted toexperience the greatest changes interms of milder but wetter winters andwarmer, drier summers, with climatechange.

The National Arboreta Long-termPlanning Group includes

representatives from WestonbirtArboretum, Bedgebury Pinetum andForest Research, and has been set up inorder to plan and react to thesechanges in our climate, and considerhow they may affect the futurecomposition and management of thecollections. Although these changes arepredicted to take place over the next 50–100 years, now is the time to makeplans for any necessary shifts in treespecies composition.

The group is preparing a climatechange risk assessment for theArboreta and is in the process ofcreating and implementing anadaptation action plan to address theserisks. This involves looking at the contentof the collections, including species mixand vulnerability or resilience tochange, and assessing the risks facingthe collections in terms of pests anddiseases.

As well as nationally importantcollections at Westonbirt andBedgebury, the Forestry Commission

has at least 20 other tree collectionsacross Britain. These sites can be usedas valuable repositories for species thatmight no longer be suited to arboreta inother parts of the country or the world.

The National Arboreta also have animportant role in communicating theimpacts of climate change on trees. Partof the role of the Planning Group is toraise awareness about the need to pre-empt and respond to projected climatechange and its associated effects.

Case Study 1: Planning for the futureAdaptation - the National Arboreta Long-term Planning Group

14

Without planning ahead and beginning to think about irrigation,Japanese maples may find it hard to cope with summer drought. Canyou imagine Acer Glade at Westonbirt Arboretum without any acers?

Forestry Commission England has setup a project at Jeskyns in Kent thatdemonstrates one approach toensuring that new woodlands areresilient to climate change. Thedemonstration woodland is divided intoa “Woodland of the Present” and a“Woodland of the Future”.

The “Woodland of the Future” containssome species that are likely to be moreresilient to hotter and drier climates.Some of these species, including small-leaved lime and hornbeam, are nativeto the British Isles, but some non-nativespecies have also been included. Theseeds of native species used to growthe trees in the “Woodland of theFuture” have been collected fromwarmer areas of Europe.

Aims of this project:• To create a diverse woodland, whichis resilient and able to adapt toprojected climate change, and whichcan be monitored to help planwoodlands elsewhere.

• To demonstrate that adapting toclimate change does not mean

wholesale changes and thathopefully, we can retain ourcharacteristic wooded landscapethrough subtle changes.

• To engage people in the work neededto tackle the impacts of climatechange, and show that it is bothnecessary and possible to adapt. Aninterpretation board is currently inproduction, which will help to meetthis aim.

The plot at Jeskyns will be monitored byForest Research to identify the strengthsand weaknesses of the various species.The results will help to inform plans for

planting new trees and woodlandsacross the public forest estate inEngland.

There are several Forestry Commissionresearch plots of this nature plantedacross the UK. Forestry CommissionWales is using one such plot as part ofa new education programme toengage secondary school students inthe importance of planning for thefuture in terms of species choices andspecies mixes. After visiting the plot,students work towards designing whatthey think a forest of the future will looklike.

Case Study 2: Planning for the futureAdaptation at Jeskyns

15

Wood fuel at Bedgebury

In 2006 a new woodchip boiler wasinstalled at Bedgebury, the nationalpinetum. Home-grown coppicedchestnut from Bedgebury forest ischipped and used as fuel for the newboiler which provides heating and hotwater for the Visitor Centre.

This is one of 10 wood fuel heatingsystems used at Forestry Commissionsites designed to reduce carbonemissions and dependence on fossilfuels. The woodchip boiler also helps tocombat climate change by using woodwaste from the site to fuel the boiler –thus reducing transport miles.

Studying temperaturevariation at Bedgebury

Scientists from Forest Research areexploring how temperature and otherclimatic changes are affecting the treespecies that are able to grow atBedgebury. Attempts are being made

to grow trees from warmer regions thatwere unable to grow at Bedgebury 50or even 10 years ago. Monitoring thesetrials helps to assess the impacts ofclimate change. Scientists are alsolooking at temperature variation withinthe pinetum to identify where to plantthe most temperature sensitive species,

in order to extend the range of speciesthat Bedgebury can conserve. Thisdetailed monitoring will alsodemonstrate how adaptation to climatechange can be achieved simply byusing topography and aspect within asite.

Case Study 3: Mitigation andadaptation at Bedgebury

16

Minimum monthly temperature in each section of Bedgebury Pinetum duringOctober-March 2005Graph showing temperature variation across site at Bedgebury. Each line shows the minimummonthly temperature of a different section of the pinetum. This demonstrates that we canadapt to climate change by simply choosing carefully where in a particular site to plantdifferent species.

Oct

Nov

Dec Jan

Feb

Mar

5

0

-5

-10

-15

Minimum

temperature(o C

)

Cannock ChaseA brand new education building, the“Tree House Centre” was opened inCannock Forest in 2008 funded byCEMEX. The building has two largeclassrooms, each of which canaccommodate up to 60 students,covering 347m2 in total.

The building is constructed entirely fromFSC timber and supported by 64 oakposts, reducing the ground impact andthe amount of concrete used. Thebuilding has a living sedum roof, and arainwater harvesting system thatcollects water from the roof and uses itfor toilet flushing, saving on mainswater use.

The building is heated by a wood pelletsystem and has a large overhangingroof structure to reduce overheating insummer. In addition because thebuilding is constructed from wood, it isvery well insulated–helping it to stay

warm in winter and cool in summer.Passive solar heating is also achievedby extensive south facing windows.

DalbyApril 2007 saw the opening of a state-of-the-art visitor centre at Dalby Forestin the heart of the North York Moors.The striking £2.6m building has beenconstructed from natural materials andnestles into the wooded valley. Itenhances the distinct character of theforest.

The construction of the all-timberbuilding uses new techniques thatenhance quality while lessening theimpact on the surrounding area. It isclad in locally-sourced timber shinglesmade from Yorkshire larch. Being madeof wood, the building is naturally well-insulated. It is powered by energy fromphoto-voltaic panels and a windturbine. Heating is provided by abiomass boiler.

WestonbirtThe new craft barn at Westonbirt wasbuilt during a training course intraditional woodworking techniquesand raised in one day in October 2008.The barn demonstrates the use oftimber from our native woodlands andprovides a shelter for courses anddemonstrations in green woodworking.

All the timber for the barn washarvested from the arboretum,including the oak and chestnut shinglesfor the roof. The oak for the frame itselfcame from mature woodland treesfelled during Westonbirt’s programmeof coppice restoration. The naturaldurability of oak means that the barnshould be around for at least 500 years– long after a new generation of oakshave grown and been harvested tomake another one!

Case Study 4: Mitigation –Using more wood in building

Wooden buildings at Cannock, Dalby and Westonbirt

17

Picture of Cannock Tree House Centre

Summary of Facts and Figures18Worldwide

Forests cover 30% of the world landarea.

Globally forests store nearly 1200 billiontonnes of carbon: 350 billion tonnes invegetation (including the roots) and 800billion tonnes below ground in the soil.This is more than the total amount ofcarbon in the form of carbon dioxide inthe atmosphere (750 billion tonnes ofcarbon).

Since the industrial revolutionatmospheric concentrations of carbondioxide have risen by 40%, and 270billion tonnes of carbon have beenreleased into the atmosphere as carbondioxide

Worldwide 23 billion tonnes of carbondioxide are added to the atmosphereannually through the burning of fossilfuels, and 6 billion tonnes are addedfrom deforestation. Some of this isabsorbed by the oceans and byvegetation, resulting in a net gain by theatmosphere of nearly 12 billion tonnesof carbon dioxide per year.

Deforestation currently accounts for 18%of global carbon dioxide emissions

We can now expect a rise intemperature of 2°C above pre-industriallevels by 2100 even if we decrease ourcarbon dioxide emissions dramatically.If no action is taken, the rise intemperature could be as large as 7°C

Europe

Europe’s forests have increased inextent in the last century. They nowcover 44% of the land area.

The amount of carbon in Europeanwood products is 769 billion tonnes

Europe’s forests contain about 20 billiontonnes of carbon, equivalent to 74billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

In the UK

Forests cover 12% of the land area inBritain, up from 5% at the beginning ofthe 20th Century.

UK forests and woodlands containbetween 120-150 million tonnes ofcarbon.

Soil is the largest carbon reservoir in theUK, storing about 6 billion tonnes ofcarbon.

UK forests and woodlands removeabout 4 million tonnes of carbon(equivalent to 14.8 million tonnes ofcarbon dioxide) from the atmosphereeach year.

Total UK emissions of carbon dioxideare about 550 million tonnes per year

Carbon dioxide contributed to over 85%of total greenhouse gas emissions in2004 in the UK

Nearly a third of energy consumption inthe UK is used to heat buildings.

Analysis of historic climate dataconfirms that the UK climate hasrecently been warming at a rate ofbetween 0.1°C and 0.2°C per decade.

Winters in the UK are likely to becomewetter (by up to 30%) and summersdrier.

It is thought that there will be a sea levelrise of between 1-10cm around the UKcoast per decade over the next 100years. Relative sea level will increasemost in the south and east (where theland is already sinking) and increase byless in the north and west.

The volume of wood supplied fromBritain’s forests each year has morethan doubled from 4 million cubicmetres in the 1970s to nearly 9 millionnow. There is the potential to increasethis to 15 million cubic metres by 2020.

Around 85% of the wood productscurrently used in Britain are imported.

In the UK 95% of our charcoal isimported.

In 2008, 43,119 real Christmas treeswere sold at Forestry Commission sitesin England – all from well managedwoodland. In 2008 8,145 youngChristmas trees were given away atForestry Commission England’s santa’sgrottoes.

Wood

One tonne of carbon is equivalent to 3.7tonnes of carbon dioxide

Each cubic metre of wood used inbuilding instead of conventionalmaterials saves about 2 tonnes ofcarbon dioxide: one tonne of carbondioxide is stored as carbon in the wood,and one tonne of carbon dioxide issaved in manufacture

Growing trees absorb carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere on average at arate of one tonne for every cubic metreof growth. However this variesdepending on species, age and wherein the world the trees are planted.

The thermal insulation of wood is:15 times better than concrete400 times better than steel1770 times better than aluminium

Research into the environmentalimpacts of building constructionsuggests that increasing the use ofwood in place of other materials could

cut greenhouse gas emissions bybetween 40% and 70% per building

Wood fuel is a carbon lean source ofenergy. The Wood Fuel Strategy forEngland aims to bring an additional twomillion tonnes of wood onto the marketannually by 2050.

Fuel Approx life cycleCO2 emissions kg/MWh

Coal 484

Oil 350

Natural gas 270

Large scale wood chip combustion 58

Large scale wood chip gassification 25

Wood chips (25% moisture content) 5.5-6.6

Wood pellets (10% moisture content) 20

Comparison of carbon dioxide emissions of different fuels over their life cycleThe life cycle includes production, management and transport. In relation to wood fuels,emissions during combustion are assumed to be compensated for by the future growth oftrees managed on a sustainable basis.

Sheet 2: BackgroundBroadmeadow, M. & Matthews, R.(2003) Forests, carbon and climatechange: the UK contribution. ForestryCommission Information Note 48.www.forestry.gov.uk/publications.

The Strategy for England’s Trees, Woodsand Forests (ETWF) and the ETWFDelivery Plan 2008-2012 can be foundat www.forestry.gov.uk/etwf

Forestry Commission England (2008)Leafing the Classroom: Strategy forForestry Commission Estate Educationand Learning Services 2008-2012.

Forestry Commission (2007). Forestsand Climate Change: A ConvenientTruth. This can be downloaded fromwww.forestry.gov.uk.

Sheet 3: What will climate changelook like?Hulme (2002) The changing climate ofthe UK: now and in the future. InBroadmeadow, M. ed. Climate change:Impacts on UK forests. ForestryCommission Bulletin 125.

Jenkins, G.J., Perry, M.C., & Prior, M.J.(2008). The climate of the UnitedKingdom and recent trends. Met OfficeHadley Centre, Exeter, UK.www.ukcip.org.uk.

The UK Climate Impacts Programme(UKCIP) publish revised future climatescenarios every six years. See the latestscenarios on the UKCIP website:www.ukcip.org.uk.

For more details on the science ofclimate change see the IPCC FourthAssessment Report: www.ipcc.ch.

Sheet 4: Implications for forestryInformation on general impactscame from Broadmeadow andMatthews (2003) below. The reportslisted here can be found on the ForestryCommission Publications website:www.forestry.gov.uk/publications.

Broadmeadow, M. & Matthews, R.(2003) Forests, carbon and climatechange: the UK contribution. ForestryCommission Information Note 48.

Broadmeadow, M. & Ray, D. (2005)Climate change and British woodland.Forestry Commission Information Note69.

Ray, D. (2008) Impacts of climatechange on forestry in Wales. ForestryCommission Research Note 301.

Ray, D. (2008) Impacts of climatechange on forestry in Scotland – asynopsis of spatial modelling research.Forestry Commission Research Note 101.

Information on pests and diseasescame from the Forestry Commissionand Forest Research websites, andfrom: Evans, H., Straw, N. and Watt, A.(2002) Climate change: Implications forinsect pests. In Broadmeadow, M. ed.Climate change: Impacts on UK forests.Forestry Commission Bulletin 125.

Brown, A. & Webber, J. (2008) Red bandneedle blight of conifers in Britain.Forestry Commission Research Note002.

Brasier, C. (1999) Phytophthorapathogens of trees: their rising profile inEurope. Forestry CommissionInformation Note 30.www.forestresearch.gov.uk.

Sheet 5: Summary of the ForestryCommission roleAn information booklet entitled “ForestResearch Climate Change Projects” canbe downloaded fromwww.forestresearch.gov.uk/climatechange.

Benham, S. (2008) The EnvironmentalChange Network at Alice Holt ResearchForest. Forestry Commission ResearchNote 001.www.forestry.gov.uk/publications.

Broadmeadow, M. & Ray, D. (2005)Climate change and British woodland.Forestry Commission Information Note69. www.forestry.gov.uk/publications.

Sheet 6: Mitigation – planting moretreesInformation on the carbon budget ofKielder Forest came from: Grieg, S.(2008) A Carbon Account for KielderForest. Scottish Forestry 62(3).

Sheet 7: Sustainable managementand protectionInformation about sustainablemanagement came from the ForestryCommission and Forest Researchwebsites, as well as the BTCV website(www.btcv.org), which has a very goodonline guide to woodlandmanagement. Information oncertification came from the ForestryCommission website and the ForestStewardship Council website:www.fsc.org.

References and further informationThe Forestry Commission (www.forestry.gov.uk/climatechange) and Forest Research(www.forestresearch.gov.uk/climatechange) climate change web pages are a good starting point forfinding out more information. Below are details of where the information for each topic came from,and some suggestions for finding out more.

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Sheet 8: Mitigation - wood productsThe Wood for Good website is anexcellent starting point for finding outmore information about wood as amaterial and as a product. Wood forGood is the UK’s wood promotioncampaign, and the ForestryCommission is one of the three mainsponsors. Go to:www.woodforgood.com. Much of theinformation for this section came fromthe Wood for Good factsheets availableon the website.

Wood for Good are also involved in apan-European project to communicatethe role of wood products in mitigatingclimate change, and have produced abooklet with the Nordic Timber Councilentitled “The role of wood in reducingclimate change: a summary of thearguments”. Type this title into Google todownload.

Also interesting is: Journal of Forestry(2008) Chapter 3: Preventinggreenhouse gas emissions throughwood substitution. Type this title intoGoogle to download.

Sheet 9: Mititation - wood fuelThe wood fuel pages of the ForestryCommission website(www.forestry.gov.uk/woodfuel) are agood general reference, and include “AWood Fuel Strategy for England”. TheBiomass Energy Centre website:www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk isalso a very good reference point.

The Forestry Commission England hasproduced a DVD called “Wood fuel:Energy that grows on trees” which canbe downloaded from:http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-7fzdbd.

Forest Research have produced a“Wood Fuel Information Pack” which canbe ordered fromwww.forestresearch.gov.uk/woodfuel.A useful leaflet is “Wood Fuel Meets theChallenge” (2006) – a Forest Researchpublication by Duncan Ireland, JennyClaridge and Richard Pow. This can alsobe downloaded fromwww.forestresearch.gov.uk/woodfuel.

Farming Futures Fact Sheet 19: Climatechange: be part of the solution – focuson biomass for renewable energy.Download from:www.farmingfutures.org.uk.

Sheets 10 and 11: AdaptationInformation came from the ForestryCommission and Forest Researchwebsites, and from Broadmeadow andRay (2005) Climate change and Britishwoodland. Forestry CommissionInformation Note 69.www.forestry.gov.uk/publications

Broadmeadow, M. & Ray, D. (2005)Climate change and British woodland.Forestry Commission Information Note69.

Hubert, J. & Cottrell, J. (2007) The role offorest genetic resources in helpingBritish forests respond to climatechange. Forestry CommissionInformation Note 086. This reportexplains the science behind specieschoice and looks at some of thequestions surrounding native speciesand climate change.www.forestry.gov.uk/publications.

Defra (2008) Adapting to climatechange in England: A framework foraction. www.defra.gov.uk.

RSPB (2008) Climate Change: Wildlifeand Adaptation – 20 tough questions,20 rough answers. www.rspb.org.uk.

Sheet 17: Facts and FiguresFacts on climate change in the UK camefrom Hulme (2002) (see sheet 3references on previous page).

Figures on wood product manufactureand insulative values came fromwww.woodforgood.com.

Statistics on global carbon budgets arefrom the Forestry Commission website,and “Forests and Climate Change: AConvenient Truth” which can bedownloaded from www.forestry.gov.uk.

Facts on wood fuel came from “WoodFuel Meets the Challenge” and the“Wood Fuel Information Pack” seereferences for sheet 9). The table ofrelative carbon dioxide emissions isfrom the Biomass Energy Centrewebsite:www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk.

AdaptationAdaptation to climate change meanschanging the way that we do things totake account of the inevitable andunavoidable changes that have startedand will continue to happen during thecoming decades.

Carbon footprintThis term provides a measure of theimpact certain activities have on theenvironment in terms of the amount ofgreenhouse gases produced.

Carbon neutral/carbon leanWood fuel is often described as carbon-neutral because the carbon dioxide thatis produced by burning wood isabsorbed by trees planted in place ofthose cut down. However, in realitywood fuel is carbon lean because asmall amount of fossil fuel is requiredas part of the production process – e.g.to power machinery or in transport.

Carbon SinkThe term ‘sink’ is used to mean anyprocess that removes a greenhousegas from the atmosphere. A forest is asink only while the carbon stockcontinues to increase.

Carbon StoreWood products are a store of carbon,as they themselves do not capturecarbon dioxide from the atmosphere,but keep it locked up throughout theirlifetime.

Climate changeClimate is how the atmosphere"behaves" over relatively long timeperiods. The term weather descirbesatmospheric conditions over a shorttime period. Climate change meanschanges in the long-term average ofdaily weather.

CoppicingThis is a traditional method ofsustainable woodland management inwhich young tree stems are repeatedlycut down to near ground level. Insubsequent growth years many newshoots emerge and after a number ofyears the coppiced tree or stool is readyto be harvested and the cycle startsagain.

DeforestationA change in land use from forested tonon-forested land.

Emissions/Emission scenariosThe emissions referred to aregreenhouse gas emissions. Climatechange scenarios are produced by theUK Climate Impacts Programme every 6years. These are based on variousscenarios depending on whethergreenhouse gas emissions arereduced, stay the same or increased.Go to the UKCIP website for moreinformation: http://www.ukcip.org.uk/.

Greenhouse effectThis is the process by whichgreenhouse gases in the Earth’satmosphere warm the Earth byabsorbing some of the radiationemitted by the Earth’s surface andpreventing it escaping back outside theEarth’s atmosphere.

Greenhouse gasAny gas in the atmosphere that absorbsand emits radiation within the thermalinfrared range. This process is thefundamental cause of the greenhouseeffect. Greenhouse gases occurnaturally within the Earth’s atmosphere,and the Earth would be uninhabitablewithout them. Common greenhousegases in the Earth’s atmosphere includewater vapour, carbon dioxide, methane,nitrous oxide and ozone.

Life cycle analysis (LCA)An LCA is the investigation andvaluation of the environmental impactsof a given product or service caused byits existence.

Locking up carbonForests are often referred to as “lockingup carbon” because they absorbcarbon in the form of carbon dioxidefrom the atmosphere, and store it intheir wood, soils, roots, leaves andseeds.

MitigationThe term mitigation refers to all activitiesaimed at reducing greenhouse gasemissions and/or removal of carbondioxide from the atmosphere.

OffsettingCarbon offsetting describes the processof reducing greenhouse gas emissionsby purchasing credits from others forproducts that seek to reduce emissions,emissions reductions projects e.g. treeplanting, or carbon trading schemes.

Definitions20

PhenologyThis is the study of periodic plant andanimal life cycle events and how theyare influenced by seasonal andinterannual variations in climate. In achanging climate the timing of eventssuch as bud-burst may be altered.

ProvenanceProvenance refers to the source of theplanting material in question. In thiscontext for example, oak of Frenchprovenance might be better suited to awarmer climate than oak of Englishprovenance.

Resilient woodlandsRefers to woodlands that are able toadapt to and withstand climate change.

SequestrationThis is the storage of carbon (usuallycaptured from atmospheric carbondioxide) in a solid material throughbiological or physical processes.

SubstitutionUsing one material in place of another,in this context using wood as a productinstead of materials like concrete orsteel.

Sustainable woodland managementSustainable woodland managementpractices seek to balance the widerange of benefits that woodlandsprovide, including biodiversity,recreation and effects on the carboncycle. Management takes the form ofcyclical harvesting and growing – treesthat are cut down are allowed toregenerate naturally, or more areplanted in their place. Well-managedwoodlands generally have highercarbon stocks than stands that are notharvested.

Urban heat islandAn urban heat island is a built up areathat is significantly warmer thansurrounding rural areas. The maincause is modification of the landsurface by urban development.