Greenhouse Gas Emissions Avoidance Through Fire Management - Theory and Proposed Methodology for Estimation
by D. Neil Bird

Presented by Alice_Leblanc@msn.com
at the
Effects of the Kyoto Protocol on forestry and bioenergy projects for mitigation of net carbon emissions Workshop,
Rotorua, NZ., March, 1998

Abstract

The Kyoto Protocol states in Article 2, paragraph 1, that Parties in Annex I shall protect sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases. In Article 3, paragraph 3, the Protocol limits a Parties quantified emission limitation and reduction commitment to emissions and removals from afforestation, reforestation, and deforestation only. Fire, a huge source of emissions, currently is not included in the Protocol.

Fire is part of the natural forest cycle but without management may have increased due to increased human activity. Is this not a “direct result of human-induced land-use change and forestry activities”? In non-Annex I countries, fire management might be needed to help manage forest resources in the face of the above changes. Should fire management be considered as a “Clean Development Mechanism”?

This paper explore a theory and proposes a methodology for quantifying carbon emissions avoided through fire management including a baseline. It shows using examples that fire management has the potential to avoid large amounts of emissions rapidly for a land-use project, but if the management program is temporary, the benefit will be lost as regrowth occurs.

Two examples are investigated. In the first, a permanent fire management program is initiated. This program reduces the area of mature forest lost to fire by on average 86 hectares annually. Given that the mature forest stores 250 MgC/ha in above-ground biomass, 49 MgC/ha in roots, 32 MgC/ha in litter, and 248 MgC/ha in soil, this program can avoid ~ 950,000 MgC of emissions within 30 years.

The second example investigates a temporary fire management program. It shows that even though there are large emissions avoided initially, much of these are lost after the program ends. The final level of emission avoidance is dependent on the duration of the fire management program.

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