Enhanced afforestation rates required to help meet climate targets

Forest creation, appropriate management and use of long-lived harvest wood products can significantly contribute to Ireland’s carbon emissions targets, Dr Junliang Zou, Researcher in Forest Carbon, told the Teagasc Counting Carbon Conference.
To achieve these targets, however, the rate of afforestation needs to increase.
“There are five carbon pools in forests. These are: above ground biomass; below ground biomass; litter; deadwood; and soil carbon. Trees can play a very significant role in mitigating climate change when the absorption and storage of carbon dioxide exceeds carbon release through respiration and decomposition,” Dr Zou said.
The four major carbon sequestration pathways associated with forests, he explained, are: carbon uptake in growing forests; carbon storage in harvested wood products; the substitution of fossil fuels with wood energy; and substitution of energy intensive materials [in construction].
With Ireland committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a key pathway is the expansion of Ireland’s forest cover, with Dr Zou adding: “Ireland's forestry strategy targets a major expansion of climate-resilient forests to 18% of total land area.
“However, the pace of this will depend on the level of engagement by landowners and stakeholders in demand-led afforestation schemes. The Climate Action Plan 2024 identifies key measures in meeting this objective, including new forest creation, sustainable management of existing forests and increased use of long-lived harvest wood products.”
Dr Junliang Zou addressing the Teagasc Counting Carbon Conference
Touching on the impact of forest based measures in meeting climate targets, Dr Zou turned to the Teagasc MACC 2023, which describes options to increase the climate change mitigation contributions from forests up to 2030. The options include extended rotations, afforestation including agroforestry creation; and avoiding deforestation. Of these, extended rotations can contribute the largest carbon sequestration level of ~0.89 MT CO2-eq/year up to 2030.
Providing additional details on how varying afforestation rates up to 2050 can impact on carbon sequestration, Dr Zou said: “Increasing afforestation to 8,000ha/annum by 2030 and maintaining this rate – (70% conifer 30% broadleaf), the forest carbon sink would be 1.3 Mt CO2 higher compared to an afforestation rate of 2,000ha/annum. In addition, the cumulative extra sequestration from 2024 to 2050 would be over 10 Mt CO2.”
He noted, however, that challenges do exist when it comes to increasing the forested area from 11.6% in 2022 to the target of 18% of the total land area. These include the move away from planting on drained peatlands and environmental considerations incorporated into the planting approval process to safeguard the environment, which have an impact on land availability for afforestation.
As part of the Counting Carbon Conference, Dr Zou also presented details on the impacts of forest type, site conditions and the work ongoing in Teagasc in relation to Forestry Carbon Monitoring. For more information on the above, see Dr Zou’s full paper from the Counting Carbon Conference here.