Clear-cutting destabilizes carbon in forest soils, study finds

A recent study from Dartmouth College indicates that the practice of clear-cutting, or depleting all of the trees in a given area, loosens up the soil in previously wooded areas and allows the carbon stored in the soil to enter the atmosphere much quicker than that of soil in a protected area. This impacts the environment because carbon is a leading factor in climate change today.


The methodology for collecting this data was relatively simple: the researchers at Dartmouth College collected soil from a recently clear-cut forest and soil from an older, generally untouched forest. The results showed that the forest that had remained untouched had significantly higher levels of carbon retention than that of the clear-cut forest, allowing the researchers to conclude that the act of clear-cutting released the carbon into the atmosphere, disrupting the carbon cycling process.

Carbon cycling enables plants to photosynthesis and produce food. This natural cycle requires output of carbon into the atmosphere through cellular respiration. However, due to modern technological advancements and human interference with ecological processes, carbon output occurs at a much more rapid pace than ever before. Factories, cars and other human contributions produce carbon emissions, which ultimately increase the amount of carbon entering the atmosphere. This study shows that even the practice of clear-cutting trees produces similar emissions effects as other human interferences.

I think that this finding is interesting, however I have a difficult time thinking of an alternative to the practices of collecting resources for human use. Changing our lifestyle is improbable; it is far too large scale to be practical. Perhaps we should focus on smaller contributions to preserving ecosystems, such as diversifying the forests we cut down, or planting new trees in areas as we clear-cut them.

Dartmouth College. "Clear-cutting destabilizes carbon in forest soils, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 April 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160415125925.htm>.