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Creating Strategic Reserves to Protect Forest Carbon and Reduce Biodiversity Losses in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Beverly E. Law

    (Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA)

  • William R. Moomaw

    (The Fletcher School and Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Tara W. Hudiburg

    (Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA)

  • William H. Schlesinger

    (Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA)

  • John D. Sterman

    (MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA)

  • George M. Woodwell

    (Woodwell Climate Research Center, Falmouth, MA 02540, USA)

Abstract

This paper provides a review and comparison of strategies to increase forest carbon, and reduce species losses for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the United States. It compares forest management strategies and actions that are taking place or being proposed to reduce wildfire risk and to increase carbon storage with recent research findings. International agreements state that safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems is fundamental to climate resilience with respect to climate change impacts on them, and their roles in adaptation and mitigation. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on impacts, mitigation, and adaptation found, and member countries agreed, that maintaining the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystem services at a global scale is “fundamental” for climate mitigation and adaptation, and requires “effective and equitable conservation of approximately 30 to 50% of Earth’s land, freshwater and ocean areas, including current near-natural ecosystems.” Our key message is that many of the current and proposed forest management actions in the United States are not consistent with climate goals, and that preserving 30 to 50% of lands for their carbon, biodiversity and water is feasible, effective, and necessary for achieving them.

Suggested Citation

  • Beverly E. Law & William R. Moomaw & Tara W. Hudiburg & William H. Schlesinger & John D. Sterman & George M. Woodwell, 2022. "Creating Strategic Reserves to Protect Forest Carbon and Reduce Biodiversity Losses in the United States," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:5:p:721-:d:812949
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher H. Trisos & Cory Merow & Alex L. Pigot, 2020. "The projected timing of abrupt ecological disruption from climate change," Nature, Nature, vol. 580(7804), pages 496-501, April.
    2. Brendan Mackey & Cyril F. Kormos & Heather Keith & William R. Moomaw & Richard A. Houghton & Russell A. Mittermeier & David Hole & Sonia Hugh, 2020. "Understanding the importance of primary tropical forest protection as a mitigation strategy," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 763-787, May.
    3. Karl-Heinz Erb & Thomas Kastner & Christoph Plutzar & Anna Liza S. Bais & Nuno Carvalhais & Tamara Fetzel & Simone Gingrich & Helmut Haberl & Christian Lauk & Maria Niedertscheider & Julia Pongratz & , 2018. "Unexpectedly large impact of forest management and grazing on global vegetation biomass," Nature, Nature, vol. 553(7686), pages 73-76, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yanlong Guo & Xingmeng Ma & Yelin Zhu & Denghang Chen & Han Zhang, 2023. "Research on Driving Factors of Forest Ecological Security: Evidence from 12 Provincial Administrative Regions in Western China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-21, March.

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