Tree restoration on marginal land: Impacts of historical land use, climate change, and bioamendments on carbon sequestration potential

Carbon is a component of CO2, an important greenhouse gas (GHG) responsible for climate change. Forests store more carbon than is found in the atmosphere, with most of this stored in the soil. This ability to store carbon has led to many tree-planting projects across Canada including a large-scale tree restoration program led by Reckitt Benckiser Canada. But there are important knowledge gaps before forest soils can be counted towards emission targets. Critically, past land-use (e.g., agricultural) can influence a forest’s ability to store carbon. This research will 1) examine the impact that past land use practices on carbon storage, 2) explore strategies to promote carbon storage, and 3) determine the impact of future climate extreme events on the stability of the carbon store. The findings will provide evidence-based results to maximize carbon storage across Reckitt Benckiser’s tree restoration program, and for new tree restoration management policies in BC that will be relevant to other regions across Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael D Preston

Student:

Partner:

Reckitt Benckiser Canada

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Northern British Columbia

Program: