World-leading experts, at a recent webinar, presented up-to-date scientific information and guidance for societal, climate and ecological benefits of natural and managed boreal forests.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Future Earth organized a dialogue between researchers and policymakers, to address gaps in knowledge and societal actions, for the immediate and long-term future.
Schedule
Host for Day 1: Erik Pihl, Future Earth Sweden
09.30 Welcome remarks
Dan Larhammar, President of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Wendy Broadgate, Global Hub Director, Future Earth Sweden
09.35 Introduction: Boreal forests, the climate, and much more
Markku Rummukainen, Lund University
10.00-11.00 Session 1: Boreal forests and the land sink, global outlook
Moderator: Anders Ahlström, Lund University, Sweden
Boreal forests play a key role in Earth’s carbon cycle – Philippe Ciais, Climate and Environment Sciences Laboratory, France
Natural versus anthropogenic fluxes and the overall effects of land use on climate – Julia Pongratz, LMU Munich, Germany
Importance of biodiversity in boreal forests – Ernst-Detlef Schulze, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany
Q&A with all three speakers in panel
11.10 – 12.10 Session 2: Carbon stocks and changes in natural and managed boreal forests
Moderator: Ana Bastos, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany
Carbon balances in old-growth Swedish forests – Anders Ahlström, Lund University, Sweden
Soil carbon balances in Swedish forests – Erik Karltun, SLU, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Natural carbon pools – LULUCF accounting and the EU climate policy – Magnus Nilsson, Independent consultant, Sweden
Q&A with all three speakers in panel
14.00-15.20 Session 3: Future climate feedback and disturbance to boreal forests
Moderator: Julia Pongratz, LMU Munich, Germany
How will disturbance impact the future boreal carbon sink? Current trends and future uncertainties – Anna T. Trugman, Trugman Lab, UC Santa Barbara, USA
Future threats to boreal forests from compound extreme events and disturbances – Ana Bastos, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany
Long-term dynamics of forest fires in Nordic countries – Igor Drobyshev, SLU, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Increasing wildfire and the carbon balance of boreal forests – Michelle Mack, Northern Arizona University, USA
Q&A with all four speakers in panel
15.30-16.30 Session 4: What can “natural climate solutions” (NCS) in boreal forests provide and under what conditions?
Moderator: Benjamin Poulter, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA.
Can boreal forests contribute to net-zero emission pathways – Werner Kurz, Natural Resources Canada, Canada
Potential for Natural Climate Solutions in the forests of Canada – Ronnie Drever, Nature United, The Nature Conservancy, Canada
Estimating boreal forest carbon from space shows the potentials for increasing uptake and storage – Christopher S.R. Neigh, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA
Q&A with all three speakers in panel
16.30-17.00 Ending session – conclusions of the day
Philippe Ciais, Climate and Environment Sciences Laboratory, France,
Julia Pongratz, LMU Munich, Germany,
Ernst-Detlef Schulze, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany