Evelyne Thiffault: Forests Facing Climate Change – Carbon Sinks or Sources of Emissions?
By Besma Bouslimi
Evelyne Thiffault and her team’s appearance on La Semaine verte on Radio-Canada, on January 18th, highlighted the importance of forests in the fight against climate change, particularly their role as carbon sinks or sources. The show covered several key aspects:
- Carbon Reserve Analysis in Forests
- Evelyne Thiffault’s team explained how carbon is stored in trees, soil, and woody debris.
- Research conducted at the Montmorency Forest enables the measurement of these stocks and the evaluation of their evolution based on forestry practices and climate conditions.
- Data Collection and Analysis Methods
- The show demonstrated various techniques used to collect field data, such as soil sampling, dendrometric measurements, and carbon flux modeling.
- The Impact of Disturbances and Forest Practices on Carbon Storage
- Evelyne also highlighted the effects of natural disturbances on forests’ ability to store carbon. Carbon stocks can significantly decrease after events such as windstorms, wildfires, or insect outbreaks. These disturbances quickly release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by destroying plant biomass and disrupting carbon storage processes in the soil. This temporarily reduces the forests’ ability to act as carbon sinks, as the carbon previously stored in vegetation is released into the atmosphere.
- Furthermore, global warming has a direct and complex impact on carbon stored in the soil, a key element of the carbon cycle. Forest soil is indeed a major carbon reservoir, often more important than plant biomass itself. However, climate change disrupts the balance of carbon storage in the soil in several ways. For example, rising temperatures have a direct effect on biological processes in the soil, especially the decomposition of organic matter. With higher temperatures, soil microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are stimulated, accelerating the decomposition of organic matter and the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. This can reduce the amount of carbon stored in the soil, particularly in areas where organic matter decomposes quickly.
While forests are often seen as a shield against climate change, a large part of this carbon reserve could quickly diminish and even worsen the country’s carbon balance.
In summary, the show helped to popularize the research conducted by Evelyne Thiffault’s team and raise public awareness about the importance of forests in the fight against climate change.
Bravo, Evelyne, for this great visibility!
Watch the full La Semaine verte episode where Evelyne Thiffault and her team share their exciting research on the role of forests in the face of climate change here: :La forêt, alliée ou ennemie du climat?