Great Lakes Conserve & Restore Forest | Union of Concerned Scientists

FORESTRY MANAGEMENT
Harvesting and degrading forests releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thus contributing to climate change. Forests store large quantities of carbon, which makes their protection an important tool for mitigating carbon emissions. Forests also provide species habitat, conserve soils, reduce non-point pollution in rivers and streams, and regulate local rainfall. Although forest management is most important in the northern areas of the region, it has various applications that can be applied throughout.


Solution strategies:	CONSERVE & RESTORE FORESTS	MAINTAIN DIVERSE FORESTS	PROMOTE URBAN FORESTRY
By conserving existing forests and reforesting previously cleared areas, we can avoid emissions and capture additional carbon in forests, both of which reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that escapes into the atmosphere. Moreover, conserving forests and the habitat they provide allows species greater flexibility to adapt to changing conditions. By ensuring that species such as migratory songbirds, moose, and others have contiguous areas of habitat suitable to their range, competition and other stresses can be reduced. Forests also assist in conserving soils, reducing pollution in rivers and streams, and regulating local rainfall.