Doubling the number of trees across the UK would account for 10% of current CO2 emissions. The national average for woodland cover in the UK is only 13%, compared to an EU average of 37%.
| Total South Hams Area | 88,650 ha | Current Wooded Area | 8422 ha | Potential Wooded Area | 19908 ha |
According to the Friends of the Earth -Tree Planting Map open_in_new there exists the potential to more than double the tree cover in the South Hams. The table is based on the FOE analysis:
Trees will not reverse climate change. They can slow it down, but that is not their function in the climate system. Trees moderate changes. They slow global warming and they slow global cooling. So they are a stabilizing feedback, not a forcing.
The tree is part of the labile carbon cycle. The carbon storage lasts only until the tree dies. It’s not really sequestered long term. Also relatively quickly the biomass reaches the maximum for those local conditions. Using the bucket* analogy, Planting more trees means you have a created a bigger bucket, but still a bucket with no drain. It helps temporarily … until the new bigger bucket gets full. We call that maximum biomass of a mature ecosystem Saturation. At saturation, as much decays from leaf litter and fallen old trees and enters the atmosphere as CO2 as is pulled out by photosynthesis. It’s a temporary fix that helps, but it is not a long term solution to draw down CO2 levels. (with rare but important exceptions)
The soil is the medium that contains a blend of labile carbon (short term carbon cycle) and stable carbon (long term sequestered carbon). And ironically it’s not the forest that restores the soil, but rather the grassland/savanna biome. The forest has greater biomass, the grassland has better soil building dynamics.
If we assume that the current tree cover of the South Hams is about 10%, this represents about 8,000 hectares (ha). So to double the tree cover over ten years would require planting another 800 ha every year. Trees are planted at a density of 1000-2500 per hectare. So assuming 2000 then to cover 800 hectares means planting 1.4 million trees per year (27k per week).
Assuming an approximate current tree cover of 8% across the South Hams (88,650 ha), this represents about 7000 hectares. So to double the tree cover requires planting another 7000 hectares over 10 years. So 700 hectares per year. Trees are planted at a density of 1000-2500 per hectare. So assuming 2000 then to cover 700 hectares means planting 1.4 million trees per year (27k per week).
SHDC is currently looking to acquire two sites:
The Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest open_in_new is a partnership between Plymouth City Council, National Trust, Woodland Trust, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council, and is funded through the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs’ Nature for Climate fund
Both of these sites will be obtained with the help of the DEFRA's Nature for Climate Fund through the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest open_in_new which is a partnership between Plymouth City Council, National Trust, Woodland Trust, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council. SHDC will own the freehold and lease the land to community groups to plant and maintain the forest and the resulting range of different habitats.
Together these sites make up approximately 100 acres (40 ha) so would support about 80,000 trees. That's approximately one tree for every resident of the South Hams. A young woodland with mixed native species can lock up in its trees, roots and soil over 400 tonnes of carbon per hectare. These two woodlands could store 16,000 tonnes.
The remaining carbon budget for the South Hams is estimated to be about 3.4Mt, so this addresses just 0.5% of the emissions we need to eliminate. It is a small but significant step and we need to do a lot more.
According to the Office of National Statistics the South Hams had 9.5% woodland cover in 2019, being about 8427.5 ha. So, doubling this would store 3.37Mt of carbon, and render the South Hams carbon neutral.
There are other Government woodland grants and incentives open_in_new available. Get in touch if you need any help or advice in accessing.
Trees need protecting and SHDC has a Tree Officer with a range of duties open_in_new