Native forests and other natural ecosystems store massive amounts of carbon in plants, especially large old trees, and soil. The biodiversity of these systems makes them self-regenerating and resilient. As the vegetation matures, carbon continues to accumulate, reaching extraordinary densities (Victoria’s mountain ash forests have the highest known carbon densities in the world).
Protecting biodiversity therefore has a critical role to play in tackling climate change by keeping the carbon safely out of the atmosphere. If destroyed by clearing or logging the planet simply is not enough land or water or time to replace the carbon.
Native forest clearing and logging cause about 20% of Australia’s emissions and should be receiving proportionate resources, money and policy attention. The fastest way to bring down emissions is by ending broad-acre clearing and industrial logging of native forests. That would give Australia a genuine base from which to encourage developing countries like Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to tackle deforestation and degradation.
