Forest Sinks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol: Opportunity or Risk for Biodiversity?

摘要

Forest sinks have the potential to remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soil and vegetation. Even though this storage is non-permanent and forests sinks are thus not a panacea for climate change mitigation, they can slow down the increase of atmospheric GHGs considerably. At the same time, the promotion of forest sinks can help to protect and enhance biodiversity. For instance, the reforestation of originally forested degraded lands, which restores natural habitats for plant and animal species, can have major benefits for biodiversity. However, the enhancement of forest sinks can also pose significant risks to biodiversity. Accounting for forest sinks could provide an incentive for the increased destruction and degradation of natural forests. The use of invasive or genetically modified species and the application of particular forest management techniques leading to maximum carbon storage and highest economic benefits could threaten native species and ecosystems. Whether these risks are effectively addressed and the synergistic benefits of forest sinks for climate change mitigation and biodiversity are optimally promoted depends on the design of eligible forest sink projects under the international climate change regime and on national implementation.