Carbon cycle management strategies

Wetland restoration strategy (stats)

• In UK up to 400 ha of farmland in Cambridgeshire is being converted back to wetland

• Canada’s prairie provinces 112,000 ha have been targeted for restoration that could eventually sequester 364,000 tonnes C/year

How does wetland restoration protect the carbon cycle

• increased wetland environments increases biodiversity, wildlife habitats, and transfer of C02 from the atmosphere to land

Advantages of wetland restoration

• reduces global atmosphere carbon - can sequester carbon

• sequesters carbon much quicker than trees

Disadvantages of wetland restoration

• urbanisation and agricultural practices are up against the scheme

• wetlands do not generate revenue - against other things could generate revenue

• not legally binding

International agreements strategy

Kyoto Protocol (1997):

• most rich countries agreed to legally binding reductions in C02 emissions

• though, developing countries were exempted because people thought they should be allowed to develop the way western countries developed

• Kyoto expired in 2012

Paris Agreement (2015):

• aims to reduce global C02 emissions below 60% of 2010 levels by 2050 and keep global warming below 2 degrees

• Countries will set own voluntary targets

How does international agreements protect the carbon cycle

• by countries setting targets to reduce carbons emissions could mean hat less carbon emissions and carbon cycle could stop moving further into disequilibrium

Advantages of international agreements

Kyoto:

• in 2012, carbon emissions were 22% lower than in 1990 - but this is because of shifting in manufacture

Paris:

• widespread involvement

• ricker countries transfer money to poorer ones - £75bill a year

Disadvantages of international agreements

Kyoto:

• slow ratification

• carbon emissions increase to 65% above 1990 levels mainly driven by China and India

Paris:

• countries set their own targets which are not legally binding

Afforestation strategy

UNREDD:

• encourages developing countries to conserve their rainforests by placing a monetary value on forest conservation

China:

• aims to afforest 400,000km² by 2050

• in 10 years 30,000km² non-native tree species was planted

How does afforestation protect the carbon cycle

• reduces atmospheric C02 levels in the medium to long term

• can reduce flood risks and soil erosion and increases biodiversity

Advantages of afforestation

• protecting tropical forests from loggers

• trees are carbon sinks

Disadvantages of afforestation

• not legally binding

• takes long time for trees to grow

• needs sustained will

• expensive