Total Global Biomass

[JamesTheLess]

I have heard that there is more biomass per acre in our North American forests today than in the past even though the trees are smaller, but I have not been able to find any data to back that up. What I would really like to see is a graph of the total global biomass over the past 10,000 years, as well as predictions into the future. We have all seen charts of human population and carbon dioxide, but I have not seen a chart of total global biomass.

By biomass I mean total mass of plant and animal matter, living or recently demised. Let's say stuff like fossil fuels and corral reef is excluded, but peat moss is included. Has anyone seen any such graphs?

[jraabe]

Something I just read in the Canadian Wood Council Span Book:

• Canada's forest volume has been increasing over the last decades not decreasing (U.S. as well, I think)
• Canada has 92% of its orginal forest cover
• Annually Canada harvests less than 1/4 of 1% of its forests.
• Canada has the largest area in the world of sustainably certified forests

Also.... As climate gets warmer, Canadian forest land will only increase.

[JamesTheLess]

Interesting chart of current biomass levels excluding peat moss, and fossil fuels by comparison:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuels

Natural Gas == ~ 100 Billion Tons of Carbon
Petroleum === ~ 100 Billion Tons of Carbon
Bitumen Tar == ~ 250 Billion Tons of Carbon
Coal ====== ~  500 Billion Tons of Carbon
Peat Moss === ~ 500 Billion Tons of Carbon
Biomass === ~ 2000 Billion Tons of Carbon

Current Consumption Rates:
Natural Gas == ~ 1 Billion Tons of Carbon per year ( ~70 years worth at current rate )
Petroleum === ~ 2 Billion Tons of Carbon per year ( ~30 years worth at current rate )
Bitumen Tar == ~ 0 Billion Tons of Carbon per year ( expected to increase to replace petroleum )
Coal ======= ~ 3 Billion Tons of Carbon per year ( ~250 years worth at current rate )
Peat Moss === ~ 1 Billion Tons of Carbon per year ( mostly large scale fires in Indonesia  )
Deforestation = ~ 2 Billion Tons of Carbon per year ( mostly by burning in Tropical Forests )

Biomass Natural Production/Destruction rate = 170 Billion Tons of Carbon per year

What would be the impact of more rapid deforestation and desertification

[JamesTheLess]

Something I just read in the Canadian Wood Council Span Book:

• Canada's forest volume has been increasing over the last decades not decreasing (U.S. as well, I think)
• Canada has 92% of its orginal forest cover
• Annually Canada harvests less than 1/4 of 1% of its forests.
• Canada has the largest area in the world of sustainably certified forests

Also.... As climate gets warmer, Canadian forest land will only increase.

I have not seen hard data on this, just talk. I thought forest fires in Quebec and Ontario and Western Canada, and the Pine Beetle in BC was changing all this. Also, my understanding is that as forests shift North the net effect will be less forests and biomass in North America, even with the higher theoretical productivity due to higher Carbon Dioxide levels.

Is there any data on the biomass per acre, above and below ground, of the original forests of 200 years ago? I have read descriptions of the forests in New England and the Maritimes that it was considerably more massive, and damp. The destruction of Pine Forests in Maine and New Brunswick was primarily for logging. The destruction of Mixed Forests in places like New York State had more to do with charcoal production in clearing the land for farming.

My guess is we currently have as high biomass productivity, perhaps higher dues to higher intensity agriculture and forestry, but lower total biomass, above ground and in the soil. Also, I thing the land and forests are generally dryer with less organic matter in the soil and less canopy, making it more vulnerable to fire, drought, disease, degradation, desoilification, deforestation, desertification. But again this is just more talk. I have not seen hard data and well published comprehensive studies of objective comparisons and changes over time. What were the old forests, and soil, really like?