Forests, our allies against Climate Change. Joachim Englert, September 2020

Forests are an essential part of the terrestrial ecosystem. They are indispensable to ensure the balance of ecosystems, combat climate change and are the habitat of an innumerable number of animals. At the same time, forests are highly vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, extreme weather events (strong winds) and the accumulation of biomass encourage sixth-generation forest fires: more intense rapid and devastating.

Through sustainable forest management we prepare forests for the present and the future. We improve water regulation; the management we carry out improves soil moisture and drainage, making it more resistant to drought. We can also increase biodiversity with activities such as creating dead wood corners or standing dead wood for insects, building and placing nest boxes for birds or bats, or with the construction and placement of insect hotels. In this regard, it should be noted that placing nest boxes in an area can not only increase biodiversity, but also help maintain pest control. In addition, well-implemented forest management provides protection against erosion. Forests also play a big role in _CO2 fixation.

According to the Kyoto Protocol, forests are, along with ocean plankton and peatlands, the main carbon sinks on the planet. Promoting the conservation of forests will lower the levels of atmospheric _CO2 that promotes global warming due to the greenhouse effect. Huge amounts of carbon accumulate in wood and through photosynthesis plants absorb _CO2 from the atmosphere, store carbon and return O2 to the environment. Carbon accounts for about 50% of a tree’s weight (depending on the species).

Forests don’t just accumulate carbon in living plants. When the tree dies, bacteria, fungi and invertebrates break down the wood, recycling its carbon as biomass, dead organic matter (corpses and droppings of these organisms) and, in the form of gases (_CO2 and methane) released into the atmosphere or water. That is why it is so important to guarantee the persistence of the forest, since in case of disturbance, whether it is a fire or uncontrolled logging, not only the CO would be released₂ sequestered in plants but also retained in the soil due to erosive processes that follow such a disturbance.

Forest _CO2 management is a forest management that increases the capacity of forests to absorb _CO2 through different management practices such as lightening or the prevention of forest fires so as not to lose the _CO2 already fixed.

Climate change is the greatest environmental threat of the twenty-first century, with far-reaching economic, social and environmental consequences. This climate change affects us all and everything: citizens, companies and nature. The concentration of _CO2 in the air, since the late twentieth century, plummeted and since then it has been rising little by little until reaching the climax that is where we are now. Since 1850 we can say that the concentration of _CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by 30%, in Spain in 2015 it already increased by 5%. We must act to reduce this carbon dioxide and to ensure that the consequences of this pollution are as low as possible.

Climate change is increasingly an imminent issue, so it is necessary to create alliances to promote business models that are not so dependent on carbon; thus reducing emissions. Companies must commit to taking urgent action to combat climate change and its effects. More and more companies are aware of this responsibility and a part of its profits reverts to the management of our forests. That is the objective of Social Forest in cooperation with other organizations, preserving the multifunctionality of forests. Together with companies, we have to transform the territory into a mosaic landscape resistant and resilient to fire, being a social engine and creating decent employment.

Every hectare of forest that exists generates life and the oxygen necessary for our subsistence on this planet. Help us and help manage our forests! In addition, with your involvement, job opportunities will also be generated for groups in the process of social integration.

Joachim Englert
Founder of SocialForest

Company Member of the Private Company and Climate Foundation