Climate Change, Acid Rain Could Be Good For Forests

[KilJaden]

After more than 20 years of research in the northern hardwood forests of Michigan, scientists at Michigan Technological University's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science have reached a surprising conclusion: Moderate increases in temperature and nitrogen from atmospheric pollution actually improve forest productivity.

Andrew Burton, an associate professor at Michigan Tech and head of the National Institute for Climatic Change Research's Midwestern Regional Center, is part of a team of researchers that has been monitoring and measuring the temperature, moisture levels and nitrogen deposited by acid rain or varying levels of experimental nitrogen at four forest sites ranging from northwestern to southern Michigan since 1987. He's found that the trees grow faster at higher temperatures and store more carbon at greater concentrations of nitrogen, a chemical constituent of acid rain, providing there is sufficient moisture.

"It may well be that increasing temperature and nitrogen deposition are good things, up to a point," Burton said.

The rise in temperature is extending the growing season, he explained. So far, Burton and colleagues have measured 10 to 11-day longer growing seasons. “Our growing season isn't that long in the first place,” he pointed out, “so 10 or 11 days is significant.”

A longer growing season could benefit the timber industry, enabling them to harvest more wood. Now that woody biomass is being investigated as an alternative energy source by Michigan Tech and others, increased forest productivity could become a critical factor.

The research, which started out as an acid rain study in 1987, has grown into one of the longest continuous research studies supported by the National Science Foundation. A new five-year grant of $151,628 will fund the research through 2012.

“It is really unusual to receive NSF funding for nearly 20 years,” Burton remarked.

The latest grant will fund ongoing measurements tree growth and the the build-up of organic matter in the soil at the four sites: near Twin Lakes in the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, at Pellston, near Petoskey, Mich., at Mesick, near Traverse City, and north of Grand Rapids near the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in southern Michigan.

Burton and his fellow researchers, Don Zak at the University of Michigan and Kurt Pregitzer at the University of Nevada-Reno, want to discover if the increased annual growth of the forests is offset by an increase in tree mortality. They also will examine whether the woody debris on the forest floor will decompose more slowly as nitrogen levels are increased, further increasing the ecosystem’s ability to store carbon.

Burton calls the new work “a window into the future,” an opportunity to see if there is a tipping point beyond which increased nitrogen harms rather than helps the forests.

Original Article

[Q Can Fix IT]

They need to get off this idea of using trees for fuel it is a terrible idea and causes more harm than good.

let the trees stand and do their job, holding the top soil in place, and cleaning the atmosphere and generating oxygen

on the other hand we could use industrial Hemp. It can replace wood at every level, including textiles. Paper made from hemp last longer too... the US Constitution was written on paper from hemp. Ford's first car was designed to run on ethanol from hemp. The panels were a hemp textile almost as hard as steel and much more lightweight.

Hemp is a weed, it grows faster and can survive more hostile environments so hurricane season will not be as bad. harvesting it does not do as much damage to the soil as other plant products do. When Hemp is harvested, there is absolutely no waste, every part of it can be used for something we need.

it can make ethanol for gasoline engines, and be used to make oil for diesel engines... it burns cleaner and produces 80% less emissions.

ask yourself folks, why these geniuses at Michigan Tech are not talking about THAT.

[sumant30]

The article is good one and gives us some +ve reponse after all the dooms day predictions across the world due to global warming.

[Bizarre™]

They should've done this a long time ago :think: .

[sumant30]

They should've done this a long time ago :( .

Done wht long time ago man?...

[Bizarre™]

Done wht long time ago man?...

This research :) .

[sumant30]

Done wht long time ago man?...

This research :rofl: .

Ya ur rite..... ;) :D :sneaky:

[HATE9X]

on the other hand we could use industrial Hemp.

that's a great idea! then i could grow outdoors & not many ppl would notice it's actually sativa & indica i'm growing.. :D