Conference on carbon sequestration in forests

The symposium ‘Carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems and wood products’ took place in Göttingen from 12 to 14 March. Scientists from the Climate Future labs DIVERSA and FoResLab were also involved. FoResLab spokesperson Prof. Alexander Knohl and DIVERSA spokesperson Dr. Jonas Hagge, along with DIVERSA coordinator Dr. Sandra Peters, presented themselves and their research projects to the approximately 220 conference participants with their posters and used the opportunity for exchange.

The conference focused on the current state of knowledge regarding carbon sequestration in forests. Carbon sequestration in forests plays a central role in climate protection. However, forests themselves are severely affected by the impacts of climate change, often limiting their ecosystem services. In this context, the 2022 National Forest Inventory found that, for the first time, forests are emitting more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing due to climate-related damage. In addition to storing carbon dioxide, the ecosystem services provided by forests include flood protection, the provision of clean drinking water and the production of wood as a resource. In addition, forests provide a habitat for plants and animals as well as recreational space for people. One of the main tasks of the research on climate-resilient forest adaptation, which the climate future labs DIVERSA and FoResLab are working on, is to ensure that these diverse services continue to be provided in the future.

The conference was organised by the Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt in collaboration with ten other forestry research institutes. The Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt is the host institution of DIVERSA and participates in FoResLab.

Press release of the Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt:

https://www.nw-fva.de/wir/aktuelles/pm-kohlenstofftagung