Maintaining the role of Canada’s forests and peatlands in climate regulation

Abstract

Canada’s forest and peatland ecosystems are globally significant carbon stores, whose management will be influenced by climate change mitigation policies such as offset systems. To be effective, these policies must be grounded in objective information on the relationships between land use, ecosystem carbon dynamics, and climate. Here, we present the outcomes of a workshop where forest, peatland, and climate experts were tasked with identifying management actions required to maintain the role of Canada’s forest and peatland ecosystems in climate regulation. Reflecting the desire to maintain the carbon storage roles of these ecosystems, a diverse set of management actions is proposed, incorporating conservation, forest management, and forest products. Key words: forests, peatlands, carbon, Canada, climate change, management, forest products, conservation