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Guiran
Member
Joined: 03 Mar 2004
Posts: 621 | TRs | Pics
Location: University of Washington |
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Guiran
Member
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 Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:33 pm |
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| Quote: | | "It further destroyed almost half of the suitable home ranges
of the Spotted Owl while releasing 40 million tons of carbon dioxide
(CO2) in the air. The quantity of CO2 released was equal to that which
would be emitted by burning three billion gallons of gasoline." |
Non-withstanding the spotted owl (the poor creatures seem to be a lightning rod for debate), that CO2 will be reabsorbed by new growth. While this may take a hundred years, this is part of a natural cycle. While forests are growing, they are CO2 sinks. Later in life through either decomposition or fire, they become sources. The only way to avoid this is by aggressive forest management that locks up wood in long-term products. Otherwise, by decomposition it's going to go to CO2, or worse, methane (CH4) which is a 20+ times stronger greenhouse gas.
While for a given year, the area impacted by the Biscuit fire was a massive CO2 source, in the coming decades it will be a larger sink. Zero sum game.
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
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Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:34 pm |
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| Guiran wrote: | | Quote: | | primitivity (is that a word?) |
I thought your were the resident grammarian? Or did you resign the position to someone else? |
My problem is that I make up words all the time, then I loose sight of reality (in the English language).
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate."
Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Accraholic
Member
Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 25 | TRs | Pics
Location: Oregon |
SailBOI
You can't include the trees which were inside the wilderness area that got burned up as timber lost...it isn't inventoried as timber, and it will never be entered into an economy other than whatever value it ads to the wilderness itself. At this point, after it is already burned up, it might make sense to utilize some of it, but what to do with it, and how much of it, and on and on is the impossible question........If there was some way to utilize the burned trees to the benefit of the wilderness then there might be some hope, but to "utilize" it by making a deposit into the Federal budget............................................mmmRIGHT-never happen, and if it did, you'd see some huge fires next year.
And you can believe that.
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sailBOI
Access Public Lands
Joined: 03 Apr 2004
Posts: 82 | TRs | Pics
Location: over the Rainbow |
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sailBOI
Access Public Lands
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Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:46 pm |
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| Quark wrote: | | they can also be used as a "control" for further studying and understanding how nature is supposed to be. Without Wilderness, we won't ever know the specifics of Nature and how it should be, versus how we made it to be.
I know someday I'm gonna hate myself someday for loving the Wilderness Areas - when the area surround Horseshoe Basin (Pasayten) goes - O I hate to think of it! That forest is waist-deep in kindling. |
Good post  I feel the same about the Dosewallips Valley. With certain people trying to force ONP to let fires burn, there is a significant chance of fire running out of the Park and right down our Valley, especially without a road ( same people ) to get firefighters in there 
As far as how Nature is "supposed" to be, it is not supposed to be any particular way. Nature has continuously changed over time. Species have come and gone in great numbers. Man is part of Nature, and before "western" man, the native Americans were having a significant impact on Nature. When you travel in Western Europe, there is nowhere untouched by man, and Nature is greatly altered. It is, however, a compellingly beautiful place, none-the-less.
My view is that much maligned "Western Civilization" is doing a better job of protecting Nature, studying Nature, and working within Nature, than any other civilization presently is. I base my view on wide travels, studies and as a scientist, the insight of scientific approach to problems.
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sailBOI
Access Public Lands
Joined: 03 Apr 2004
Posts: 82 | TRs | Pics
Location: over the Rainbow |
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sailBOI
Access Public Lands
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Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:05 am |
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| Guiran wrote: | | Pretty much. My master's research has been on an engineering/economic assessment of converting thinnings to bio-fuel (e.g. methanol, bio-oil). Unfortunately, the economics don't really "go around". A number of options would cost less than the current practice of burning or land-filling thinned timber, but none of them are even close to covering the cost to thin. I think the best option might be to create new "smallwood" industries near forests in need of thinning that could make use of small-diameter timber. |
This is a good idea. I know a guy who made a big business of making chipboard OSB from the scrubby trees of N. Alberta - Ainsworth Lumber Co.
Chipboard, particle board, masonite, pulp etc etc......meanwhile, we need to remove more than scrub. We have planted forests @ up to 400 trees/acre, whereas old growth is 25-40 trees/acre. We can take alot of larger trees, leaving the best specimens for future generations to decide the fate of. Many folks don't realize that the very dense forest grows very little undergrowth, and is not ideal habitat. It's the succulent deciduous understory, growing in partial sunlight, that provide grazing.
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Accraholic
Member
Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 25 | TRs | Pics
Location: Oregon |
I think you meant browsing...not grazing.
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sailBOI
Access Public Lands
Joined: 03 Apr 2004
Posts: 82 | TRs | Pics
Location: over the Rainbow |
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sailBOI
Access Public Lands
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Tue Nov 16, 2004 11:36 am |
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| sailBOI wrote: | | Quark wrote: | | So: are you talking about NF, or Wilderness? |
The litigation goes on and on, Wilderness, NFS, National Parks. The Biscuit fire encompassed far more area than the designated Wilderness. Once a fire is allowed to "naturally" progress, it threatens productive forests on all sides of the "Wilderness".
Here are some links of interest, the first one is a wildfire news site circa the Biscuit occurrance. The other an indepth of the Biscuit fire.
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This image link wasn't working, so I created a new one....it's funny but sad. 
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