Boreal Forests: The Carbon the World Forgot

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http://borealbirds.org/carbonreport.shtml

Boreal forests store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem on earth – twice as much per area as tropical forests. Past estimates of this carbon greatly underestimated the amount, depth, and longevity of this carbon. As the most intact remaining forest on earth, the boreal forest also has exceptionally high potential to accommodate plants and animals forced to shift due to climate change.

This report questions whether international negotiations on carbon and forest protection have adequately considered boreal forests in light of the scientific findings outlining their significance.

Expert Contacts for Interviews

Steve Kallick, Director, International Boreal Conservation Campaign, Pew Environment Group
206-327-1184, skallick@pewtrusts.org

Dr. Jeff Wells, Report author and Director of Science and Policy, Boreal Songbird Initiative,
207-458-8492, jeffw@borealbirds.org

Larry Innes, Executive Director, Canadian Boreal Initiative,
416-575-6776, 613-230-4739 ext 226, linnes@borealcanada.ca

For further information and assistance contact:

Sue Libenson, Media Director, International Boreal Conservation Campaign, 907-766-2841, sue@interboreal.org or Suzanne Fraser, Director of Communications, Canadian Boreal Initiative, (613) 232‐2530, sfraser@borealcanada.ca

Interviews can also be arranged with report reviewers Dr. Stuart Pimm, leading conservation biologist and tropical forest advocate, Duke University and Dr. Andrew Weaver, lead author for the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which was awarded the Nobel Prize, University of Victoria.