Why woodland creation and management?
Trees are vital for our planet and because they naturally absorb CO2, they represent a cost-effective way of removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere. At the same time, they deliver many other benefits such as enhanced biodiversity and recreational and health improvements.
But planting trees without proper planning can have disastrous consequences. For example, planting trees on peatland can release vast quantities of naturally-stored carbon and methane into the atmosphere.
About NetZeroPlus
The NetZeroPlus project will gather evidence, address knowledge gaps and allow decision makers to explore the Greenhouse Gas Removal consequences of different tree-planting options and explore all the diverse aspects of forestry to identify “the right tree in the right place”. As well as Greenhouse Gas Removal, the project will deliver valuable insights on how tree-planting can deliver other benefits such as enhanced biodiversity, water quality, recreation and health, and pioneer an approach to decision making that takes into account all the effects of land use change.
Project lead: Professor Ian Bateman, University of Exeter.
Contact: Kate Gannon, netzeroplus@exeter.ac.uk
Research team: Researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Aberdeen, the National Trust and Forest Research, as well as over 40 project partners including policy makers, all the forestry authorities, many large landowners from the NGO sector and networks to represent farmers and the timber and building sectors.
Find out more about NetZeroPlus and follow on Twitter: @_NetZeroPlus.
Discover other GGR projects…
Biochar
The biochar project will address the uncertainties concerning the extent and scope of deployment of biochar, including its stability with respect to carbon sequestration, together with quantifying effects on soil health and ecosystem services, economic viability and social acceptability.
Enhanced rock weathering
The enhanced rock weathering project will explore amending soils with crushed calcium and magnesium rich silicate rocks from waste quarry fines to accelerate natural CO2 sequestration processes.
Peatlands
The peatland (‘GGR-Peat’) project will work with natural processes to restore, and where possible enhance, the environmental conditions that lead to peat formation.
Perennial biomass crops
The perennial biomass crops (‘PBC4GGR’) project is investigating the potential for plants like willow and miscanthus to support BECCS in the UK.
