Trees and biomass energy: Carbon storage and/or fossil fuel substitution?

Studies on climate change and energy production increasingly recognise the crucial role of biological systems. Carbon sinks in forests (above and below ground), C02 emissions from deforestation, planting trees for carbon storage, and biomass as a substitute for fossil fuels are some of the key issues which arise. This paper assesses various forestry strategies and examines land availability, forest management, environmental sustainability, social and political factors, infrastructure and organisation, economic feasibility, and ancillary benefits associated with biomass for energy. Halting deforestation is of paramount importance and should have priority above all other options, although it will not be easy to implement for a variety of well known reasons. There is also great potential for reforestation of degraded lands, agroforestry and improved forest management. We conclude biomass energy plantations and other types of energy cropping could be a more effective strategy for carbon mitigation than simply growing trees as a carbon store, particularly on higher productivity lands. Use of the biomass produced as an energy source has the added advantage of a wide range of other environmental, social and economic benefits. The constraints to achieving environmentally-acceptable biomass production are not insurmountable. Rather they should be seen as scientific and entrepreneurial opportunities which will yield numerous advantages in the long term.